Aware
by EmeraldStorm7
Summary: Hogwarts had been the setting for first friendships and first loves for centuries, and it's no different in the Marauders sixth year. And as cherished those firsts are, the boys and girls in red and gold learn that the seconds and thirds could be even better...and those lasting friendships and last loves... they could be the very best. SB/OC, RL/OC, JP/LE
1. The greatest feeling

**Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers. **

**A/N: **

**Hi! So I'm completely new to writing Marauder Era fanfiction and I am really excited to be doing this (like nervous excited, unfortunately not the other, better kind). So this idea has been toiling around in my head for the longest time but I was so busy with my other fics it always got pushed to the side, but I had a day off today so I thought, why not? Anyway… I hope you like it!**

**Chapter One**

"Who in Godric's left gonad is J. Devon?"

Sirius refilled his mug with coffee and glanced up at his sandy haired best friend, whose eyes were already reclaimed by the lengthy piece of parchment in his hands.

Peter froze in the process of heaping his plate with mashed potatoes and opened his mouth eagerly to answer, considering he was the one who went through all the trouble of going and finding out who was Sirius' assigned partner for Astronomy, but he was cut off by the chink of glass on wood.

"Seriously!" Sirius glanced away from his gapping friend, his dark grey orbs landing on sparkling emerald ones and his lips sprung into a smirk at the red face three spaces down, which seemed to be attempting to blend in with her fiery hair.

She pushed the untouched plate of food away and sprang to her feet, "A new student arrives smack down in the middle, nay, the penultimate year of our academic career, and you don't even notice! It's all the school has been talking about for the past forty eight hours, but NO!" She wrenched her bag from the seat and slung it onto her shoulder, "Sirius Black is much TOO important to identify with the whispers of the commoners! HOW egotistic can _one_ person possibly be!"

"Well good morning to you too, Evans." His eyes danced in amusement as the redhead sprinted past him, tossing him an infuriated glance on her way out of the Great Hall. "Oh and I like the new skirt, I always fancied a bit of thigh with my breakfast!"

Her exit was momentarily halted as she flattened her skirt down in a swift movement weighed with uncharacteristic insecurity, and he could see the evident regret in her features at finally deciding to push up her hemline to within a millimeter of regulation, something most of her peers had done when they picked out their first training bra.

Sirius' bark of a laugh reverberated through the Great Hall as the Gryffindor prefect sent him a very unbecoming hand gesture. "There is no better feeling than being-"

"Breakfast?" Remus straightened up in his seat, he always managed to maintain such posture on the backless bench Sirius wondered whether his friend might break if his rigid stance was nudged in the slightest. "Good morning? You do realize what time it is!"

"How flexible are you Moony? Like _can _you touch your toes?"

"You slept through Transfiguration!" His hazel green eyes flooded with annoyance.

"Well. No. Technically I slept through first period, which I recall was a free. And then when I got down to the common room, I ran into little Daisy Hookum, who I might add is NOT so little anymore-"

"Sirius!" Remus snapped.

"Her grandmother died Moony! Her Nan!" Sirius' grey eyes widened in apparent concern, "I couldn't just leave her there in tears, moaning and heaving all over the place. I stayed to comfort her. I stayed to be a gentleman!" He finished the sentence of with a dignified sip of his coffee as Remus let out an exasperated sigh.

"Well McGonagall was not pleased. She wants to see you. It's the first week of term Sirius-"

"Exactly! The first week! Who does anything in the first week!" Sirius glanced to Peter who nodded emphatically in agreement.

"Which school have you been attending for the past five years!" Remus shook his head and grabbed at the parchment he just laid down, "When do you know McGonagall to give us a break, especially now that we're sixth years. This here is just the reading list for _first_ term!" He flourished the parchment at his friend's face.

"Oh don't remind me." There was a thud as James' bag hit the floor and he lowered onto the bench, reaching for the first plate he could see, his black, square frames unusually high on his nose, a sure sign that he was not in the best of moods. "Oh, what kind of savage finishes ALL the mash potatoes?!"

He shouted down the table to nobody in particular, causing a group of second years to scamper away in fear. Peter quickly heaped the remainder of his mash into his mouth before James could turn back around, pushing the empty bowl away in frustration.

"I take it you ran into Lily?" Remus stated mildly.

"No, why?" Peter flinched at the edge in James' voice.

Sirius finished up his scrambled eggs, he turned to the jet black haired boy, a bit of yellow fluff hanging from his fork, "Because she's talking like a fifteenth century muggle rights activist."

"She nay-ed?" James tone transformed from annoyance to intrigue in a heartbeat.

"And flipped me off! And mate she's shortened her skirt-"

"Yeah I saw!" His voice fluctuating to excitement and then dimmed to a serious tone, "Why were you looking Padfoot! You know I don't like it when you look!"

"Well I couldn't exactly ignore it! Did you see those calves! She looks like some kind of… fit… muggle model person. What's the one with the legs that just go on and on? The blonde one?" Sirius' hands enacted a large bosom at his own chest and Peter squealed with laughter.

"What did happen?" Remus' voice hinted with concern as all humor washed from James' face as he glared at a spot away in the distance.

When Sirius followed it he realized it wasn't such a distance away at all. A mere three tables away Severus Snape sat hunched over a thick tomb, a full plate laying forgotten before him, the recognizable colouring of mashed potatoes visible from here.

"I know you love your mashed potatoes Prongs, but I'd rather eat off the floor than from Snivellus' plate."

"I highly doubt James is peeved because he wants Snape's mash. What did he do, James?" Remus' voice held the texture that he was hopeful that it was in fact Snape who had done something, and not the other way around.

"He was born, that's what he did."

"Oh not that again!" Remus sat forward, pulling James attention away from the oily haired Slytherin.

"Not what again Remus! You saw the way he treated her last year! And now he's gone and wheedled his way back into her life!"

"I suppose if Lily wants to befriend him again, it is her choice."

"She doesn't WANT to!" James snapped, "You said she was upset yourself! She doesn't like the idea of working with him anymore than I do!"

"Working with him for what?" Peter asked quietly, uncomfortable with his friend's antagonized tones.

"This stupid Astronomy project! I've just been up to the board to check the pairing list because the first part is due tomorrow and I was hoping to… well I thought the pairings would be random and considering the class is so small, I mean it's really a one in an eleven chance that I get her BUT of course, of course she's paired up with that sniveling bastard!"

"Well just swap then." Sirius patted his best friend on the back, "If Evans is pissed with it as well, just ask her and she might want to change partners-"

"That's just it! I went and spoke to Akita, I already asked him if it's possible and he says no! He's gone and paired us up according to birth dates! Birth dates, Padfoot! I knew being an Aries would bite me in the arse one day!"

"Actually if they were going with star signs the fact that you're an Aries would be good because they're most compatible with Aquarius' you see." Peter finished off softly as James rounded on him, "Because Lily is a… an… Aquarius."

"Thanks Wormtail. I'll just go back in time and ask my mum to pop me out two months beforehand then."

"I just meant-"

"It's okay Peter." Remus muttered, "It is odd though, you would think he would do star signs considering its Astronomy. Did you ask why he went with birth dates?"

"No Moony, I didn't. I was too busy trying to fathom how I am going to spend the next year collaborating with Edward White! You know the only time I don't stare at his eyebrows means I'm staring at his mole."

"Year?" Sirius snapped, suddenly alert, "This project is a YEAR long."

"I know!" James agreed, "I thought he meant it was just due at the end of the year but he's gone and broken it up into all these parts so you have to be consistently working on it. And remember what McGonagall said when we made her let us take Astronomy as a seventh." James straightened up off the bench as Remus stood and Sirius mirrored him, Peter scrambled to his feet as they walked to the exit, "We have to maintain an E throughout the year or she'll make us drop it."

"Well that's what you get for just choosing a subject on the basis that your crush is taking it." Remus had a knowing smile on his face, "I told you two it will be hard managing seven subjects for NEWTS, it's hard for some people managing six." His eyes bunched up in confusion, "You know, I get why James wanted to do Astronomy, but why did you Sirius?"

Before Sirius could answer there was a tap on his shoulder, he glanced backwards, turning fully when he saw the long, straw colored hair of Greta Catchlove and the Ravenclaw looked anything but pleased.

"Greta!"

"We need to talk." And with those four little words she walked to the nearest cupboard, holding it open as Sirius tried to ignore James' amused grin. At least this was brightening his mood.

The broom cupboard was a popular one, it was just under the grand staircase and many a second year experienced their first kiss in these close quarters.

Greta however looked neither like a second year or in the mood for kissing, Sirius' grin sprawled across his lips but her light blue eyes held its glare, "Where were you last night?"

Not skipping a beat he responded, "Waiting for you."

She scoffed, "If you're going to lie at least make a concerted effort!" Her voice grated at his ears as it picked up momentum, "I waited for you in that classroom for an hour Sirius! An hour!"

"I spent just as much time, if not more, waiting for you in the Transfiguration Courtyard." His voice dipped low as his head followed suit, portraying his apparent disappointment.

"Why would you wait there!" Greta snapped, folding her arms in irritation.

"Well I recalled the letter saying that we should meet in our special spot-"

"Yes! The third floor classroom-" Sirius stepped forward, placing one long finger on her lips.

"I believe we have a matter of misunderstanding Miss Catchlove. When you said the _special_ spot… I assumed you meant the place our lips touched for the first time… you remember… we skipped History of Magic… it was drizzling…" Sirius moved his finger away from her lips and stroked her pale cheek, "I didn't think you meant some random classroom we fooled around in months ago."

"I… uh…well… did you seriously wait?" Her face flushed and she stepped towards him, biting her bottom lip.

"I siriusly did." And smile. Sirius had perfected the definitely clichéd but highly effective move by his fourth year and Greta's anger instantly left her body as she leaned up on her tip toes.

"I'm sorry…I can't." Sirius took a full step back and the girl jostled slightly without him to lean on, "I barely slept last night wondering why you would do such a thing… I think we need to cool things down for a bit."

"But-"

"Please Greta… don't make this harder than it has to be." Sirius held the door for the girl and she walked out, her head hanging low in disappointment.

James, Remus and Peter averted their eyes as if they weren't watching the broom cupboard for the past five minutes as the girl rejoined her friends.

"Really! I thought there would be at least a stinging hex, she's the best in our year at those! Did you see Brown's face when he dumped her last year!" James stated in astonishment as they ascended the stairs.

Sirius smiled smugly as Remus shook his head, "Padfoot," he always said Padfoot when he was being serious, "it may be all fun and games but cheating-"

"Oh Moony, it's not cheating if we're not going out. She had her fun, I had my fun! Plus, I wasn't even with some other girl last night, I was with you guys! I really did forget, but thank Godric for it; I've been looking for a way to cut that chain loose for a while."

"Sirius!" Remus' voice was drowned out by the same name being shouted by a very different voice.

Where Greta's voice was high pitched and grating, Daisy Hookum's voice was the complete opposite. She hurried toward the group of boys, her long brown hair jostling about her shoulders as she stopped in front of them.

"Hey Daisy. I heard about… your Nan. I'm really sorry and if there's anything we can do to help." Remus left the sentence without an end, knowing that Daisy would understand the unspoken offer to be of assistance if needs be.

Her glossy pink lips descended into a frown, "My Nan? My Nan's been dead for five years. But… thanks any way Remus!"

She turned back to Sirius who in turn was trying to block Remus' outraged look from his periphery. "So, about tonight, I'm really excited about star gazing! I always wanted to be able to identify the big dipper and all that, but I'm no good at Astronomy! Lucky for me I'll have my own personal tutor." She giggled at the end.

"Of course darling, I'll meet you in the Common Room at nine. Dress cool, it's going to be chilly tonight."

She laughed, "You mean dress warm, Sirius."

Sirius winked as he made his way towards the staircases to the third floor, "I _mean_ dress cool, keeping you warm would be my express privilege and honor, Miss Hookum.

She bit back a squeal as she ran back to her friends who were all in varying shades of envy and delight as the boys walked the steps to the fourth floor.

"Consoling her because she was crying!" Remus snapped, equal parts amused and annoyed.

"I never said she was crying." Sirius laughed, "I said she was moaning and panting all over the place and I did not lie." His sentence was clouded by his barking chuckle as Remus shook his head, glancing at James but their bespectacled best friend seemed to be elsewhere.

"And I suppose you got your answer on why he took up Astronomy, Moony." Peter giggled and Sirius had to try hard not to point out how much it sounded like the fifteen year old girls downstairs.

They cut through the secret passage that took them straight to sixth floor but the exit was blocked by a group of girls.

"Excuse me." James muttered politely, a sure sign that one of those heads was a fire red one.

And indeed it was, the girls parted to let the boys walk through the portrait of the Dancing Puppies.

"Oh, so sorr.." Her apology fell away as Lily saw who it was and she clutched her Runes textbook tighter to her chest.

Lily was not a self conscious girl by any means but it was hard to be anything but when somebody stared at you the way James was doing to her right now.

"Boys! We were just talking about you!" Marlene Dawson's chestnut hair framed her chin in a straight line, but she had the kind of delicate features that pulled of such a hairstyle.

"Good things I hope." James smiled at Lily as if she had spoken and all nuances of self consciousness fled as she straightened up with a smirk.

"Oh contrary Potter. I was just telling Marlene to watch out lest she get caught up in your start of term prank like last year."

"I do believe it was Dawson who suggested we sprinkle Hair-go dust in the first years shampoo, it was however our idea to curse their little bald heads with the old scarlet and gold crest. And it only lasted a few hours till it grew back."

"With the crest still there! They were little scarlet and gold haired kids with a very blurry image of a lion shimmering on the crown of their heads running around this Castle for days!"

"And they loved it Evans! Do you remember little Kingsley! He made Kenway take like fifty pictures of him to send to their parents and Melissa Ecklestein asked me to teach her the curse so she can do it for every quidditch match. Plus we gave them ice cream afterwards."

She sighed, "I do suppose it helped with uniting them, it definitely broke the ice… and the ice cream was a good idea… BUT-" She stepped towards James threateningly and Peter stepped away from the pair of them, "There will be none of that this year! I am taking over the settling in of the first years, and there will be no pranks Potter!"

"Oh come on Evans-"

"I said no pranks Black! I would trod carefully if I were you, McGonagall wasn't thrilled that you skipped Transfiguration!"

"And just to fiddle around with little Daisy Hookum no less."

The group of sixth years turned around to see who spoke and Sirius raised his brow as the seventh year approached them.

Azura Carmichael tossed her long red locks over her neck, exposing its pale length with the movement, "Standards are dropping Black."

"Not reached you, so I guess I've not hit rock bottom just yet." She laughed hollowly as she walked towards them from the direction of the Gryffindor common room.

"Oh how I count the days." She clutched at her chest dramatically, the crimson bra peeking out as her first button lay undone, "Oh James! Cassie says she'll meet you at eight. And she says not to be late."

She flicked her hair one more time and started down the stairs to the sixth floor.

"Of course I won't be late! I'm captain! I'm never late. For quidditch practice." James reiterated for Lily's benefit, as if to ensure that she knew that was the only reason he will be meeting with Cassandra Johnson tonight.

The redhead seemed unfazed but the small smile she had on her lips a few moments ago disappeared as she turned to make her way to the classroom.

James let out a frustrated breath and Sirius, whilst not physically showing it shared his annoyance. There was just something morally wrong with a girl that vain yet holding no substance to support the vanity. Sirius admitted that she was put together well but it was evident the amount of time it took to construct the look.

Plus there was the fact that she had been after James from fourth year and having an older girl after you was not as fun as people promised it would be, at least in his friend's case.

"That bloody Azura Carmichael. What kind of name is Azura anyway!" James hissed under his breath as the boys walked slowly towards classroom 6C, "I bet that's not even her real name. I bet that she changed it when she got here-"

"Oh because she's a muggleborn!" Lily snapped around, not the slightest bit embarrassed that she was eavesdropping, "That is so prejudiced of you! As if we just clutch for a way to reinvent ourselves when we get our letter, desperate to change our beliefs and ideals and personality just so we can fit in YOUR world! So we have to create an identity-"

"That's not what I meant Evans! I'm just saying Azura sounds like-"

"I don't care what you meant Potter!" She shook her head in disappointment, "My name is Lily Evans just in case you were wondering, always was and always will be. And I resent the fact that you think we lie just because we can."

With that she snapped around and headed into the classroom, Marlene following wide eyed behind her.

"I…what…I…" James gapped as Sirius patted his back,

"There there prongs. She-who-must-not-be-named must obviously be visiting this week."

"If it's any consolation, I get what you're saying James." Mary MacDonald tucked a strand of her mousy brown hair behind her ears when the boys' attention turned to her. She was so short and quiet that it was easy to miss her when she was with her taller and feisty dorm mates, "I mean… you just meant Azura's name is ludicrous." She gulped visibly, an action harder to notice on a girl, "Her eyes aren't even azure… right?" She laughed breathlessly, clutching her waist with her folded hands as her cheeks flamed red, "I mean I'm muggleborn and I wouldn't mind changing my name! Make it something more dramatic!"

"Like what?"

Her brown eyes popped when they fell on Sirius and she stepped back, "Er…like… er… something. Like… er…funny or like cool… like…er…Pixie?"

"Like those little blue ones." Muttered Peter, "Cornish Pixies. I thought you were from Scotland?"

"I…I…" She looked like she was about to faint.

"Pixie MacDonald. I like it." A tall figure swaggered forward, long black hair like a cape fluttering behind her.

"Shafiq." Sirius nodded in greeting as her bright brown eyes sparkled at him as she leaned against the door frame.

"Peter darling, walk Mary back to the common room would you. I'm positively yearning to get some runes translated."

And like only Aiza Shafiq could she twirled around and waltzed into the classroom, tugging Remus behind her by the hand, the sandy haired boy glancing at his friends desperately for their help.

James grumbled to his place just as Sirius remembered to ask Peter something and turned and ran back after him, "Wormtail!"

The boy stopped and turned about instantly, Mary MacDonald nowhere to be seen, "Do me a favour and let that J. Devon know I want to meet tonight. Make it seven in the library. And will you walk with Mary, she's a nice girl."

Peter scratched his mousy strands, "I don't know… she scares me. And she's got those dimples that are so deep they look like her cheeks are spasming or something."

"Spasming?" Sirius shook his head at his friend in amusement; the boy evidently had way too high standards and turned to finally make his way into the classroom.

"Ah Mr Black! Tell me, how does one arrive ten minutes early for class but still enter five minutes late."

Sirius grinned at Professor Farren as he made his way to the back of the class.

Farren was a curse breaker in his mid thirties and many of the girls spent most of the class staring at him, erotica writing itself in their minds at the wizard's less than professorly appearance, "I haven't the foggiest Professor. Ask me again tomorrow."

He shook his dark head in amusement, turning back to the board as Sirius folded into his chair with a similiar grin on his face as he watched Remus uncomfortably try to extricate his right hand from Shafiq who was still holding onto it, an amused gleam in her eyes.

He leaned his chair back on its hind legs as he recalled his unfinished sentence from earlier on… there really was no better feeling than being back at Hogwarts.

**A/N: So? What did you guys think? Thoughts and feedback would be greatly appreciated!**


	2. Silent Places and Silent Partners

**Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers. **

**A/N: So a little heads up, I tampered with the ages of the Black sisters, whilst they remain in the same age order with respects to each other, Bellatrix is a year older than Sirius, Andromeda the same age as Sirius and Narcissa a year younger. Hope that's okay...**

**This goes out to wedontkilltheliving, sandraj45692, Elizabetch and baiters08 for adding this story to their alerts and/or favorites.**

_Words in italics are memories and recollections._

**Happy reading!**

**Chapter 2**

Sirius glanced down from the large balcony and met the harsh black gaze of the Hogwarts Librarian and his lips hitched into what he knew was a charming smile, but evident from her unrelenting gaze it was not charming enough.

He never took it to heart though, save for Remus with his perfect record and his bibliophilic nature, nobody had managed to make the woman smile.

When Irma Pince had arrived in the middle of their fifth year, the boys, irrelevant of House alliances, flocked to the library to get a good look at the newly appointed librarian who was said to be in her early twenties… Irma Pince was a cruel joke made by Fate, who seemed to have handed the male student body a glossy red apple which turned out to be bitter on the first bite.

Of course glossy red was an inclination to her youth and not her looks, has Sirius laid eyes on a single nose that was less attractive than the beak like contraption attached to the librarian's face, and of course that honor went to Snivellus.

His eyes then flickered to a table on the ground floor of the library, and he was happy to note for James' sake that it was one of the more centralized ones conveying that the occupants meant business; there was no time for idle conversation or any sort of privacy.

Evans scribbled silently on her parchment as Snivellus mirrored her, his black eyes flicking up to his quiet Astronomy partner every few seconds and Sirius wondered for the hundredth time how the two were even friends in the first place.

Where Evans was vivid and eye catching, the obvious subject of a painting, her personality coordinating with her appearance, Snivellus was like the unidentifiable black blob that bordered the corner of an artwork with his sallow disposition.

He turned away from the pair, making a mental note to let James know of their indifference, aware that the information would cheer his best friend up, who was in a sour mood lately.

He took in the immense shelf in front of him, after McGonagall had cornered him after Ancient Runes and all but dragged him to her office by his ears, he had to endure an endless lecture on how this was his Sixth Year and if he missed one more of her lessons she'd strike him off the register for Transfiguration and transfer him straight to Divination.

The threat, however, was not as effective to Sirius as she might have hoped. As much as he loved Transfiguration, he had covered the majority of the practical aspect of the entirety of the Hogwarts curriculum last year, a necessary feat considering his ability to successfully, albeit illegally, transform into a great shaggy black dog whenever he pleased.

Plus, he didn't really care for the subject reflecting on his credentials, unlike James, he didn't know exactly what he wanted to become when they left school, and hence had none of the pressure of having to tick all the right boxes to achieve the goals that lead him to his chosen career path.

It was one of the few things Remus never nagged him about, considering his werewolf best friend was about as undecided on the matter as he was.

Nevertheless, he'd rather not be the only one of the four to be kicked out of Transfiguration, it was boring enough being the only one of them choosing Arithmancy over Herbology, which definitely involved less hard labor but turned out to be just as mind numbingly dull.

So he lowered his head in a show of regret and faked solemnity as he took the little pink detention slip McGonagall had handed to him, stating that he was to report to the Library for detention with Pince at seven thirty that night.

He didn't mind the detention really, he had been meaning to spend more time in the Library, considering Remus was less than helpful in the aspect of ensuring that every hidden crevice of the massive room was discovered, saying the place was meant for studying and should not be treated as a treasure chest of secret passages and hidden rooms.

That concept contradicted every aspect of their current project of mapping out every secret passage and hidden room of the Castle, so Sirius took it upon himself to come in and pull a few books off the shelf and listen closely for the creaking that symbolized the opening of a secret passage or something just as intriguing.

He pulled down another book, his ears peeking up slightly for a sound that never came, and scribbled down the name onto the parchment Pince had handed him.

Why in Merlin's name anybody would want to have a complete list of every book in this colossal library was beyond him, and the Librarian had high hopes if she thought he'd be able to finish this shelf by tonight, considering it had been fifteen minutes and he was only on his third book.

"You know, if you had such questions, you should have just asked."

Sirius' lips automatically lifted into a smile as he turned to the familiar voice.

Andromeda Black leaned against the oak banister of the balcony, her mahogany strands neatly trapped in a long braid. She sported a large grin on her face which held an uncharacteristically slight tan, her soft brown eyes wide in amusement as she stared at the book in Sirius' hand.

"I would have. But then I recalled the involvement of a beaters bat and my very handsome face the last time we had such a conversation."

She giggled and playfully punched him on the arm, "That should teach you to ask a girl if she felt less like a woman because she didn't have the breasts to prove it!"

"I was merely being considerate! You wouldn't stop crying because Uncle Ignatius mistook you for Reg and my words were you _shouldn't_ feel less like a woman because you didn't have the breasts to prove it!"

She gasped, "I was ten! It was the day after Bella cursed my hair short! And Reg is a very feminine looking boy!" She chuckled, the sound so pure and innocent it contradicted every stripe of emerald green on the tie about her neck, her laughter faded and a thoughtful expression crossed her heart shaped face, "Then why did I hit you on the head with a beater's bat!"

"I've been asking myself the very same question for the past six years!" Sirius laughed as he placed _Patience is better than a Poorly Performed Enlargement Charm _back on the shelf_._ The cover art had a very amusing picture of a teenage girl staring down at her chest in disappointment.

Pince shot them a look from her desk on the ground floor and Andromeda stifled a laugh, but just then there was a loud squeal from a third year Ravenclaw girl near Pince, whose eyes seemed to bug out of her head at the sight of the girl jumping onto her seat, "A rat! I just saw a rat!"

"Hush! And get down from that chair this instant! And there are no rodents in this library you-"

Whatever the girl was they never found out, as just at that moment there was a large blur of brown as Mrs. Norris ran underneath the desk, searching out the rodent.

"CAT!" Pince shouted, her tiny eyes widening in anger! "OUT! A library is no place for mangy animals! CAT!"

"I'd watch your tone if I were you." Argus Filch sprinted out from behind a book shelf on Pince's right and Sirius made a mental note to check that area for secret passageways, "Mrs. Norris is a damn better sight than you are! Mangy, the only thing mangy over here is that great big head of yours!"

Pince gasped, clearly affronted and turned her attention away from Mrs. Norris, "How dare you!"

Andromeda chuckled and Sirius shushed her, grabbing her by the hand and ducking behind the bookshelf, knowing that must have been Peter breaking him out of detention early and grabbing the chance his friend so generously offered him.

They watched through a gap in the books in amusement as the Librarian and the Caretaker continued shouting at each other as Mrs. Norris jumped on a table full of books, Pince just whipped out her wand and Filch was very amusedly trying to physically restrain her.

"This kind of reminds me of that time we swapped Cissy's face powder for Poison Ivy paste and blamed it on Reg."

It wasn't likely that Sirius would ever forget that itchy shade of red Narcissa had turned, or the way Uncle Cygnus scolded Regulus for tainting his perfect little pureblood princess, all whilst Andromeda and he hid behind the banister and watched their plan unravel.

Andy's giggles subsided and she turned around, sliding down the shelf and sitting cross legged on the brown carpeted floor.

Sirius slid down next to her, his knees propped up in front of him, and she automatically lay her head on his shoulder, as they both stared at the rows of bookshelves ahead of them.

Whilst the upper floor of the Hogwarts Library was much smaller than the ground floor, in essence it was just one continuous balcony that bordered the walls, it managed to house quite a number of book shelves.

"I missed you." Sirius leaned his head against hers in response to her words.

Andromeda was probably the only girl that he truly cared for, she was more sibling to him than Regulus was and he wondered how unbearable his already less than tolerable childhood would have been without her.

"I'm sorry I had to leave you like that…" Sirius cleared his throat, he didn't regret leaving home, not in the slightest, it had been a long time coming. However, he did regret leaving Andy to fend for herself.

Ever since he could remember, even before they started at Hogwarts, Andy, Bellatrix and Narcissa would come and stay at Grimmauld Place for a few weeks at the start of summer.

Back then, when their world consisted of just their family, when they never had a difference of opinion considering they never were confronted with the outside world. And when they knew nothing beyond dinner parties with the same pureblood families who all shared his mothers' vision of what the Wizarding World should be.

Back then when they had enjoyed each other's company.

Back then when Bellatrix wasn't the spiteful, domineering, pureblood maniac she now was.

Or perhaps she was always that way, she just never had a platform to shove her opinions down other's throats.

Sirius remembered the first Summer following Bellatrix's first year at school, she was always slightly unnerving and judgmental, but to a then ten year old Sirius it was never a problem considering it was always fun to challenge her, whether it was in wizard's chess or who could perform the better hover charm.

That was the singularly positive thing about Grimmauld Place, the wards whilst making it unplottable and invisible, also permitted underage magic which Sirius and his cousins had used to their utmost advantage.

But the Bellatrix that returned from her first year at Hogwarts was not the same one who snuck out with Sirius to Diagon Alley for ice cream when they were just eight… this Bellatrix was vile… this Bellatrix sounded just like his mother when she stared out of the window at the park nearby the house and spat swears at the muggle children.

The very same muggle children Sirius would sneak out and play with when Walburga went off to run errands, thankfully taking Kreacher with.

Muggles were nothing like Walburga promised they would be, why Patrick and his friends were probably more welcoming than every pureblood Sirius was forced to interact with combined, and they were a million times more fun.

And they didn't dote on him because he was a Black, or because he lived in a large manor house, they couldn't even see Grimmauld Place! They liked him because he could kick a football better than most of the boys on the street, and whenever they were bored he always thought of something fun to do, and Patrick's sister Jenny always seemed to bring them lemonade and cupcakes when he was around…

He remembered it as if he was reliving the memory in a pensieve, he had been so excited to introduce Andy to the boys when she came to visit that Summer.

The way they had to sneak out and take the back route to the park so their parents wouldn't look out and see them on the street.

The way Andy's eyes burst in wonder at the cacophony that was a muggle playground, the laughter and the shouts and the squeaking of swings and pattering of running feet…

The way Bellatrix twisted Andy's arm when she found them, trying to drag her away when Andy insisted on staying.

The way Patrick rushed forward to help the girl he met just a few minutes ago.

The way Patrick flew and hit the tree trunk, the screams of the children and the dull red of smeared blood on wood…

The way Bellatrix threatened Sirius that if he didn't come with, she wouldn't stop with just a bump on the head.

The way she ranted and raved the whole way home about how disgusted she was with their behavior.

The way his back ached for days after Bellatrix informed his mother of what he had done, her screeches of embarrassing the family name and cavorting with cretins and that if he so much as glanced at those boys again she'd make sure that would be the last time he'd ever see them.

He wished that had been the last time he saw Patrick.

"Uncle Alphie said you were with the Potters. Mother wouldn't even tell me… and I'm sure they were blocking our letters."

He hadn't sent her a letter, he knew that he was as good as struck off the family tree and he didn't want to drag her into this mess with him. Whilst Uncle Cygnus wasn't abusive like his sister, he could be as cunning as any Slytherin and Sirius didn't want Andromeda in any unnecessary trouble.

"Cissy wouldn't stop crying… you know how sensitive she is… and Bella…"

His hands tightened into fists at the thought of Bellatrix.

The girls had come over this past Summer like they did every year, but this time Bellatrix had brought along her fiancés brother and one of the most detestable boys Sirius had ever met.

It wasn't bad enough he had to see Rabastan in school, but to have him a room away, was sheer torture. Sirius spent most of his time in his room, keeping out of their way, not wanting to anger his father enough to prevent him from visiting James for the remainder of the holiday.

He'd already had his intended visit to the Potters cut down from five weeks to just three.

Orion had informed him that he was to escort his cousins to France for two weeks, upon the request of the Lestranges, and it was his duty as the Black Heir to represent the family and chaperone his younger cousins.

The argument that ensued was probably the direst one he had with his father and he had stormed into his room and gathered all his belongings, ready to flee to James' house.

Just to remember that James was on holiday in Switzerland and would only be back in a few days.

Remus was on holiday at his cousin's house.

And he'd never even slept over at Peter's house before, he couldn't exactly expect them to take him in.

Yes, at that time, as Sirius placed all his belongings back in their respective places, he had thought that was the worse fight his family and him ever got in.

If only that were still true and again as if he was wadding through a basin of memories, Sirius recalled the night of July twenty-fifth.

"_Sirius!" He snapped his head to his bedroom door as the blonde girl rushed in, she was already in her white silk night dress, her pale face white with fright, "Did you hear that? What was that?" _

_As if in answer the night echoed once more with the agonizing shrieks and Narcissa whimpered, just as Andromeda rushed in. _

_The adults were at a dinner party at the Bullstrode's and it was only his two younger cousins and Regulus in Grimmauld Place._

_Sirius grabbed his wand, crossing the room and following the sound of the screams which seemed to be coming from downstairs. _

"_Sirius." Regulus emerged from his room, his slight shoulders slumped and his blue-grey eyes consumed with fear. _

"_Stay with the girls." Sirius motioned to his bedroom and hurried down the stairs, crossing the dark hallway as he heard the screams yet again. _

_He stared at the front door, knowing that the scream cannot be coming from outside, the wards didn't allow it… he slowly turned his head to the door that lead to the kitchen and he pushed through it. _

_Kreacher was hovering just inside the kitchen, staring at the door to the basement and Sirius shoved him aside and descended the stairs as the jarring sound got closer, interspersed with the cackling sounds of laughter… his careful approach fled when his eyes clamped on the familiar face and he surged forward, disarming the boy with a flourish of his wand. _

"_Ah. Cousin." Bella laughed as Rabastan stared in amusement at his now empty hand, his black dress robes soaked to his skin from the downpour outside like black paint clinging to a wall and Sirius' breath caught at the sight at the seventh year Slytherin's feet._

_He rushed forward and fell to his knees. It must have been six years since he saw Jenny last, but it wasn't hard recognizing her, she had Patrick's dark hair and their mothers kind brown eyes which stared vacantly up at the ceiling…_

_The spell left Sirius' wand almost of its own accord and caught Rabastan across the cheek, spurting a thin layer of blood as Sirius raised his wand once again, catching the boy around the legs with a tripping jinx and he tumbled to the floor. _

_The dark room lit up in a violent ray of purple and Sirius winced as he felt something indefinable cut through his right arm, he raised his wand but Bellatrix already had the red spell flying at him and he knew it would hit and when it did he'd be writhing on the floor, screaming in pain just as Jenny was moments ago._

_A sudden eruption of white light surged in front of him and the red spell rebounded of the shield charm just as Andy ran in, Regulus behind her. _

"_Andromeda! Defending a pathetic muggle lover like him!" Bellatrix whipped her wand and Andy was flung backwards into Reg who tried and failed to steady them both. _

"_Ignis sagitarrius!" The flame arrow made its way from Sirius' blackthorn wand and singed through Bellatrix's mass of dark curls, hissing as it hit the wet tresses. _

_He raised his wand once again but he felt something whip at his legs and he sailed face forward onto the floor. _

_He felt the crack of his nose breaking and his head shook with the pain but he forced himself on his back, clutching his bleeding nose just as Rabastan towered over him, "Cruc-" _

"_NO!" Andy's shouts were the last thing he heard as his skin was set aflame with a pain so severe, it felt like a thousand tiny needles poking into his skin whilst his insides churned like acid. _

_The pain lifted suddenly and Sirius sprung up, throwing up blood and bile onto the basement floor, his dark strands fell forward and between them he could see the pale skin of Jenny and someone bare feet in front of him, "Rabastan! Stop this at once!" _

_It was Andy and her voice quivered as she stood in front of the older boy, "Move Andromeda." _

_It wasn't Rabastan that spoke, but Bellatrix instead, and Sirius struggled to his feet, the pain finally dying down and he slid his hand into his pocket and felt the cold steel of the penknife James had given him last Christmas. _

_He clutched at Andy's shoulder for support and flung the knife at Rabastan with as much precision as he could muster but he never got to see if it met his target as for the second time today he swam in pain as he flung through the air, his head banging against the opposite wall and he slumped to the ground. _

_Orion Black glaring at him on the foot of the steps. _

The next few minutes were a blur of crimson rage to Sirius.

He recalled shouting all kinds of obscenities at his parents as they defended Rabastan's actions, who said that Jenny had witnessed him and Bellatrix apparating in front of the house so they had to drag her in here and make her forget what she saw, for all of their safety.

The second slap in the face was the fact that neither of them claimed to know how to perform a memory charm and thought the best thing to do was torture Jenny into memory loss but her weak muggle mind apparently couldn't bear the pain so they thought they'd just 'put it out of its misery.'

The last thing Sirius remembered of the house was his mother's shouts mingled with Narcissa's sobbing and his father's resolute stormy grey eyes as he never even utter a threat to him as Sirius stormed out of the house, Jenny's motionless body in his arms.

Sirius had laid Jenny carefully down on the front steps of Patrick's house, hoping that Rabastan was wrong about the torture curse destroying her mind and that with some rest she would be fine again.

He had run away when he heard the sound of footsteps and watched from a distance as Patrick flung the door open, his face paling at the site of his sister.

"Sirius?" He snapped out of his reverie as his head jostled as Andy lifted her head from his shoulder and turned to him, "Are you okay?"

He leaned his head against the bookshelf at his back, the cool wood seeping into his crown and relaxing his mind as he took in the arched ceiling of the library, the faint sound of Pince and Filch arguing in the background.

Physically he was okay.

When he pitched up at James' house, Mrs. Potter patched him up with a few swishes of her wand. She and Mr. Potter were furious at his condition and he hated to spoil their mood considering they had just gotten back from Switzerland. James and his parents always spent the first two weeks of holiday away on vacation.

He didn't regret leaving Grimmauld Place of course, he was always threatening to do it but never found the nerve…

The incident with Jenny had been just the push he needed to solidify his resolve yet the liberation he promised himself when he finally unchained himself from his family's shackles never came.

"How was France?" Sirius glanced away from the ceiling towards Andy, who sighed in response.

"Same as Britain for me. Same faces different location. The Lestranges' were hospitable of course but Bella was intolerable. Cissy enjoyed herself, Madam Lestrange took her shopping almost every day. I suppose the only good thing was that I got a tan, you know I always wanted one."

"And Reg?" Sirius asked the question offhandedly but he knew Andy understood how important the answer was for him.

"He was a bit reserved in the beginning but you know if there's anybody that can cheer him up its Bella. He misses you Sirius."

He scoffed, recalling the way Regulus just stood and stared as two assailants attacked his brother.

"Andromeda?" They glanced up as someone poked their head behind the bookshelf and Sirius cleared his throat and clambered to his feet, hoisting Andy up with him. "I thought I heard your voice, I've been looking everywhere for you… Oh. Sirius. Hello."

Sarah Fawley's lips pulled into a welcoming smile, the light from the lamp a little way away from her tossing her golden brown hair into a halo about her slight face, her light hazel eyes shining with open relief at having found her best friend.

If there was one person who was less a Slytherin than Andy, it was the girl that was now ushering them out from behind the shelf.

They walked silently down to the ground floor, Sarah chattering pleasantly beside them, "Mr. Filch and Madam Pince had the biggest spat, they both stormed off to the Headmaster's office to complain about one another. Ted kept saying he wished he could have typed it or topped it or taped it or some sort of muggle thing." She laughed, but not with derision and walked over to the table where her boyfriend sat.

"I don't suppose you want to join us?" Andy gestured at their table in welcome as Sirius shook his head, laughing as Tonks dropped a large tomb on his toe.

"What in Godric's name does she see in him?"

Andy's brown eyes glinted slightly as they flickered to her pair of friends, "He's not so bad. His funny, he makes her laugh-"

"Yeah, at him!" Sirius chuckled, "Do you remember our first flying lesson, the broom walloped him in the delicates-"

"Yeah yeah I remember." Andy brushed it off with an unconcerned hand gesture, "Not all of us are the same person we were when we were eleven Sirius. Some of us grew up."

And with that slight edge in her tone, she turned on her heel and waltzed off.

He shook his head, unsure what he said to upset his cousin but realized he didn't have the time to ponder such matters anyway.

Peter had failed to locate J. Devon, only finding out that the J stood for Jude, which was about as helpful to Sirius' Astronomy project as Peter himself might be.

So Sirius had to do the Astronomy work all on his lonesome, and Akita had been smart in assigning each group a different topic so there would be no copying.

He wondered to the Astronomy shelf and stared at the mass of books, it was a simple enough assignment. Map out a few constellations and Sirius strained his memory to recall the ones he was assigned.

Horologium and Centaurus was definitely one of them and he reached for the book sporting the latter's name but stopped as he felt fingers brush his.

He glanced down, the owner of said fingers staring up at him with unsettling black eyes.

"Devon?" He asked, making the assumption from their mutual interest in the book that remained undisturbed on the shelf.

Sirius took in the short untidy haircut, the brown strands sticking up awkwardly, paired with the baggy shirt and much too large track pants made him think of a homeless muggle he once spotted on his way to Kings Cross a few years back.

The boy was even shorter than Peter, well below even Sirius' shoulder and he was skinny and had a pallor most often seen on Snivellus.

Sirius took a step back as if oily hair and sallowness were contagious, "I'm Sirius Black."

He didn't offer his hand to the boy to shake, turning back towards the shelf and grabbing the book about the Centaurus constellation, "I suppose we should split the workload in-"

Sirius frowned at the spot where Devon was not a moment ago, now as empty as the Invisible section of the library a few aisles away. "Devon?"

He walked out of the aisle and looked left and right, meeting only his own reflection in the glassy window a little way ahead of him.

He shrugged, turning to walk to the exit but stopped when he felt something crunch beneath his feet, he glanced down and realized it was a scroll of parchment.

He bent down and unraveled it to find the yellowing paper spattered with constellations which so happened to be the ones he was instructed to have drawn, all except the Centaurus constellation.

"Sirius?"

He glanced up to find Daisy Hookum staring at him, a naughty glossy smile on her face, her brown hair open and falling about her shoulders in straight sheets.

He had completely forgotten that he was supposed to meet her at nine.

"Please tell me your detention is over!" She had the kind of breathless voice that dragged words longer than necessary but Sirius found it charming.

"Just about darling." He grabbed the scroll of parchment and tucked it under his left arm as he offered his right for her to take, "I see you took my advice."

He smiled in appreciation at the sleeveless blue dress she was wearing and his request from earlier that she dress for cool weather and she huddled closer to him, her brown eyes glinting mischievously, "I sure did. And I hope you keep up your end of the bargain Mr. Black, I don't expect a single shiver tonight."

"Oh love, they'll be plenty of shivers. But I promise none of them would be from the cold."

Sirius winked at her and she giggled, the sound echoing across the large library as they made their way down to the grounds, all thoughts of estranged families and strange partners neatly pushed to the back of his mind.

**Thoughts? I would really like to see what you think of it so far! **

**Kalina**


	3. From the outside looking in

**Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers. **

**This goes out to CeliliPotter and Sandraj45692! Your reviews on the last chapter brought a smile to my face! **

**Chapter Three**

The air of hostility was beyond palpable, more potent than the exchanging of glares between opponents in that five seconds prior to a start of game whistle, and still the more unsettling considering the uncharacteristic nature of the source of all the layered tension in the small classroom.

The sound of midday whistled through the opened windows, bringing with it the soft scent of nightshade which Professor Sprout had been nurturing four floors down, but the calming aura did nothing to still Remus' nerves as he glanced from his left, to his right.

Remus couldn't comprehend how, and why he was in this situation.

Five minutes ago, anticipation shivered over his skin as he walked into the fourth floor classroom. He stilled momentarily as his eyes landed on Severus Snape, who occupied the first of the three double seated desks that filled the room in a straight row.

He nodded a greeting at the boy which went predictably unreciprocated, and slid into the desk behind the greasy haired boy.

Snape's lucid hatred that shot across the room for the infinitesimal fragment of time did nothing to detract Remus from the excitement of today.

Two minutes later Edward White walked in, the Ravenclaw's thick black eyebrows like an overhanging hedge to his dark blue eyes, his pointy nose crowned with a bulbous mole on its right. White offered Remus a nervous smile and lowered his lanky body into the last desk.

It was almost amusing, the nature of boys. Perhaps if it were girls they would file in next to each other, working their way to the back. A man simply did not encroach on another man's space unless absolutely necessary.

Remus' musings were interrupted by a familiar floral scent and he felt soft skin brush him as Lily Evans settled into the seat next to him, bumping his elbow gently as she pulled out her inkwell and quill.

His brows furrowed at the fact that Lily hadn't even greeted him, which was highly uncharacteristic of the usually friendly girl and he wondered if perhaps James had finally annoyed her to the point where she refused to even associate with his friends.

Her emerald green eyes searched out her textbook amongst the thick tombs in her scarlet bag and Remus averted his eyes, knowing that it was rude to glance into a woman's bag, irrelevant if it was just full of school things.

Just then the fine hairs at the back of his neck stood on end as a familiar scent strolled across his nostrils and his heart beat accelerated to a fast paced dribble in his ear drums, "You're in my place, Lily."

"It's not assigned seating, Aiza." Lily stated in a matter of fact manner, the roommates' tones edgier than Remus recalled ever being when addressing one another.

Aiza's bright brown eyes were clamped on Remus, bathed in the sunlight from the nearby window it shone a dull red, the almond outline bordered by dark thick lashes that were lowered as she stared at him.

He continued staring back, unsure what Aiza expected of him?

To ask Lily to move?

He wouldn't. He was actually much more comfortable with Lily next to him than the alternative.

He glanced from one lioness to the other, feeling very much like an insignificant prey that the two were squabbling over, yet this squabbling of death stares and dead silence was much worse than threatening roars and sure pounces.

With an indifferent sigh that momentarily lifted the tanned skin stretching over her collar bone, Aiza Shafiq straightened to her full impressive height, "Fine."

The word was like a swing of a knife and Remus glanced at Lily, finding his neighbor apparently engrossed in her textbook, uninterested in her friend's demands.

Remus swallowed thickly as Aiza sauntered to the front of the class, shrugging off her black robe like she did every lesson and hanging it on the back of the arm chair, momentarily exposing her slender neck as she flicked her thick raven curls up to dislodge the few locks that snuck into her collar.

He quickly lowered his eyes as she pressed the back of her skirt to her half exposed thighs and descended into the seat next to Severus Snape.

Snape, much like when Remus had greeted him, offered neither response to the change in the atmosphere nor the introduction to a new occupant at his desk.

"Good afternoon, Severus." The words like a song danced across the room and Remus felt Lily still next to him. Snape however remained indifferent and Remus couldn't help grinning at the slight hitch of surprise in Aiza's dark brows, her profile just visible from his diagonal vantage point.

Aiza Shafiq had probably never been ignored by a single boy in all her life and Remus knew that this was akin to a stunner to the face for the girl.

Her chocolate orbs met his briefly, as if sensing his delight in her failure and the corner of her full lips twitched.

She straightened in her chair, her white shirted back to him now and Remus could hear the sound of her inhaling deeply, "Sprout's begonia's have really taken off this season."

For a moment it was as if Aiza was speaking to herself and Remus shook his head amused, if she was hoping to flirt with Snape for whatever reason Aiza wished to flirt with every post-pubertal male in this castle, she was most definitely searching for flutterbies in the wrong bush.

"It truly has." Remus looked over his shoulder whilst the dark haired girl twisted about in her chair to see who spoke.

It was Edward White, whose slight face held a friendly smile, "It smells like home to me, you know. My mother has a begonia bush right by my room window. I wonder why Sprout's growing them, she doesn't seem the type to plant a bush for decorative purpose solely.

Lily glanced up from her textbook and swiveled slightly in her seat to face White, "My sis…mother also has begonia's in the garden! It does have that very distinct scent of home… I'm not entirely sure this scent is begonia's though… it smells sort of more…pungent?"

"It's nightshade." Snape looked over his shoulder and stared straight at the redhead, her back still to him.

Lily made no motion to recognize Snape's response, except for the somewhat slight stiffening of her back. She remained with her back to the chalkboard, still staring at White who seemed to be going red from the attention.

"I thought nightshade only bloomed… well in the night."

"Common misconception." Remus and Snape glanced at each other as they answered Aiza in unison.

Snape returned his attention back to the front of the class and Remus glanced away, uncomfortable at having the same line of thought as the ill-tempered Slytherin.

"Well then they shouldn't have named it _night_shade." White added, obviously eager for this idle chit chat with the two prettiest girls in Gryffindor house, "It makes no sense really, what kind of shade do you expect to find when it's nighttime anyway!" He laughed and Remus rolled his eyes as Snape glared at the boy.

"Perhaps it's because it doesn't bloom in the night. It's named for its coloring, like a dark _shade_ of the _night's _sky_." _There was a definite edge to Snape's voice as his onyx eyes flickered to Lily's back, but the redhead continued chatting to Edward White.

"Is your mother's name really Lily as well!" Lily laughed but it sounded odd. Not entirely forced but not entirely effortless, a confusing middle ground that made Remus stare at his fellow prefect with slight concern. What was wrong?

"It is. I promise. Weird, isn't it?" White chuckled.

Weird? Remus refrained from scoffing; Lily might be one of the most common names in Britain.

"I don't suppose your mother's name is Aiza." Aiza turned in her place, her mischievous eyes solely on Snape as she laughed airily at her own jest.

Suddenly Remus felt like a fifth wheel. Weren't there two girls fighting to sit next to him mere minutes ago and now they were completely ignoring him?

Snape didn't find her joke funny, turning to the front so that Lily did not even enter his periphery.

Remus could make out the constriction in Snape's shoulders from his place behind the scraggy boy.

Aiza glanced back at Remus and he smiled at her triumphantly, he didn't know why but it was awfully nice to see her not get her way for a change. Who thought Snape would be the one to bring him such joy?

There was a sound of footsteps and suddenly everyone straightened in their seats, the forgotten anticipation resurfacing with a vengeance in all of them and Lily snapped her textbook shut as their eyes stared at the door.

They could hardly be blamed for their excitement, it was not every day that a bunch of sixteen year olds are taught Alchemy by a six hundred and forty nine year old French wizard who happened to be the most notable researcher in the field.

"Professor Dumbledore?" White exclaimed in disappointment as their silver haired Headmaster entered the classroom alone.

"I do so share your sentiments Mr. White, I glanced upon a mirror in the morning and was quite disappointed myself. It's my beard I fear, split ends!"

Remus folded his lips into his mouth to refrain from laughing aloud at their eccentric Headmaster as Lily smiled politely at the ancient wizard, "Professor, I thought Nicolas Flamel was going to take us for alchemy. Not that I wouldn't be absolutely privileged to be taught the subject by yourself of course… I just thought…"

"Alas Miss Evans, bad news I do come bearing. It seems that it would not be possible for you to take Alchemy this year. I know, I had promised that if you had at least four people, which you lacked in third year, the subject could be taken up. But it seems that the school rules are stringent and ironclad. I was reminded that in order for a subject to be re-instated in the curriculum, there need to be an average of fifteen students willing to take it, inclusive of third years and up."

Remus could hardly think of anyone who could make Dumbledore do something he didn't want to do, after all, the Headmaster had a teenage werewolf amongst his student body and he doubted he consulted with any advisors on the matter. Then again the governing body loved to entertain themselves with minor details such as this.

"All of you will of course be allowed to choose another subject, please let your respective heads of houses know of this decision." He bowed in farewell and exited the room.

Lily sighed in frustration and pushed her alchemy textbook back into her bag, by the time she was packed Edward White was standing by her side, "So, will you be taking on another subject instead? I heard Ancient Runes is interesting."

"I'm already taking that. This was going to be my ninth subject… so I suppose I would just leave it at eight."

Remus shook his head and stood, Lily and Snape were the only students crazy enough to opt to do nine subjects, where it was considered reaching doing seven.

"Walk you to lunch?" White's blue eyes were bright with expectation and Remus glanced at Lily whose faced blanked momentarily, but then she smiled.

"Sure." They walked out; Snape followed soon after, practically knocking into Aiza in his desperation to leave the room.

"Walk you to lunch?" Aiza mimicked White with a laugh, holding out her hand for Remus to take, smiling up at him teasingly.

Remus sighed, she was positively mercurial, one moment she'd completely ignore your existence and the next she'll glance up at you with that beatific face as if you were the sole living being through all of time.

So of course, he slipped his featherlight charmed bag off his shoulder and looped it onto her proffered hand, walking passed her shocked face with a smirk in response, wondering just where he got the confidence from, if it were perhaps contagious, something that the statuesque figure at his back exuded, "Chop chop Miss Shafiq. My bag won't carry itself down to lunch."

* * *

Peter's snores echoed through the quiet dormitory as Remus scribbled away on his parchment. His ears pricked as he heard approaching footsteps and glanced up, his eyes so attuned to the dull moonlight that had chained him for such a long time found the waxing crescent luminescence in the dark night's sky.

He glanced to the door, "James?"

His friend's hazel eyes flickered to him momentarily as he entered the room, his face unusually pale as he crossed to the bed nearest the bathroom, "Moony."

Remus watched with furrowed brows as James tossed his book bag on the floor and grabbed his broom from under his bed, "How was Astronomy?"

James' only response was a small shrug as he crossed the room, shouldering his broom, "I'm going out for a fly."

"It's almost ten, James?"

"Funnily enough, I am capable of telling the time Moony." And with that snarky comment he left the room.

Remus barely had time to ponder his friend's odd behavior as Sirius entered; glancing back in confusion at what Remus suspected was James' retreating figure, "You know, I'm beginning to REALLY dislike Evans."

"Well she's not your biggest fan either. They get into it again?"

Sirius reclined across the foot of Remus' bed, "I have no idea why he even bothers! She's being a bigger bitc-"

"Padfoot!"

"Well you can't deny it! The way she snapped at him yesterday outside Runes and now again during Astronomy. She's in a caustic mood."

"Not like James is in the best of moods either. He has been a bit odd lately, hasn't he?"

"Of course he has! And it's all Evans fault!"

Remus sighed and pushed his work aside, "You can't keep blaming her for James' behavior… it must not be nice… being so in love-"

Sirius let out a bark of laughter that cut off Remus' sentence, "Love? Love? Prongs does not love Evans! She treats him like the worse sort of scum and I dare you to fall in love with someone who treated you that badly."

"I don't know. You treat half the female population just as bad yet they all seem to love you."

Sirius shot up, clutching his chest in exaggeration, "Oh you wound me Moony." Suddenly his deep grey eyes lit up, "You're doing my Arithmancy homework! Godric , you're the best!"

Remus jumped from his bed and dodged Sirius' embrace and the dark haired boy plopped onto Remus' bed once again, "I did not do _your _Arithmancy homework. I did _my _arithmancy homework." He glanced down at the parchment that was still in his hand, littered with numbers and symbols, "We didn't get enough numbers for Alchemy, so I changed my seventh to Arithmancy-"

"So I won't be alone!" Sirius jumped up, "You're the best!"

Remus let out an exasperated breath and shook his head, placing the finished assignment on his bedside drawer knowing Sirius would need access to it at some point that night, "You truly do believe the sunrises to shine on your face."

"You sound like Evans." Sirius pouted, jumping up and crossing the room to his bed, "You sure you haven't fallen in love with her too."

Remus couldn't help but smile, Sirius sounded like that might be the worst possible thing in the world. For a boy who was almost off age, months from being an adult wizard, he was completely childish in certain aspects of his life.

The dark haired boy fell back onto his own bed and smiled at Remus unsettlingly, "So is Shafiq going to always have lunch with us?"

Remus looped his tie back onto his shirt and slid it into place, readying himself to leave.

If there was anything he disliked more than discussing other's love lives, it was discussing his own. "No. She just needed to lick her wounds a bit. She actually tried flirting with Snape and he of course ignored her. I think she needed your and Peter's gawking to boost her up on her high horse once again."

Sirius scoffed, "Oh yes. She had lunch with us because of Peter and I. Moony… you don't seriously-"

"I'm late for Prefect Duty." Remus bent and pulled on his shoes, his eyes catching the unfamiliar parchment atop his bed sheet.

He picked it up, looking at it in confusion. It was obviously Sirius' Astronomy assignment but it wasn't his writing. "Sirius, did you do any of this work on your own?"

Sirius' dark brows pulled together as he stared at a large parchment spread out on top of his bed.

"Padfoot?"

Sirius glanced up as if just remembering that Remus was still in the room, "Of course. Look at the last constellation. How deep do you think the basement goes? I'm positive the Puff's entrance is down there… I've brought Bones up here a hundred times; he should at least return the favor, shouldn't he?"

Remus complied with Sirius' first request and found his familiar script titling the last diagram, _Centaurus_. "You drew one constellation out of fifteen. Does that seem fair to you?"

"I didn't ask the little creep to do it, he went and did it all on his own, it's not my fault."

"Little creep?" Remus' brows rose, " ? You have a funny way of showing your appreciation to someone who saved you hours of time on homework."

"What? Moony? You didn't see the guy, he was all scrawny and odd. He didn't say a word, he just was there and then he wasn't."

Remus frowned, "Come to think of it, I haven't seen any new faces in our classes. What house is he in?"

Sirius shrugged, his attention consumed by the creased parchment atop his bed. Remus knew it was the map that they were working on, "Haven't a clue." He glanced up in thought then, "You know, we really need to get into that common room. We've been in every common room except the Puff's and I don't care what Bones says about it not been breached by a non-Puff for a thousand years. We can't claim to know every bit of the school if we don't get into the Puff basement of all places!"

"What was odd about him?"

Remus couldn't keep the edge from his voice as Sirius glanced away from the map, slightly annoyed, "Just odd Moony. Odd. Something off about him. He didn't speak-"

"But he did all of your work?"

"And? Does that make him less odd? No!" Sirius shook his head as if Remus was not getting the point at all.

Remus tossed the sheet on his drawer and hastened to the door and his Prefect duty, stopping at the exit without turning, "You know, I honestly expected better from you. If there was any reason to take interest in the guy's life it would be **because** he was scrawny and odd, can't be too nice having to change your school in your sixth year just to have the guy who you helped a great deal describe you as scrawny and odd. Especially when there is a whole bunch of people just ready to lead astray all the scrawny and odd kids they can get their hands on. Hmmm. Real nice Padfoot."

And with that he descended the staircases to the common room.

Remus knew he was being too hard on Sirius, but it was times like these that he felt he needed to be. He appreciated everything, every sacrifice his friend made for him, and he knew there was a goodness that Sirius guarded within him, but sometimes he could be painfully exclusive.

Just like Aiza. Those two were so much alike in that case, when you were one of them, when they allowed you into their circle, they embraced you wholeheartedly. But if you fell just short of that circle, if you were on the outside looking in…

This was all too close to home for Remus perhaps, most of his childhood he was the scrawny and odd new kid. Always the new kid, considering his parents was practically nomads in their effort to keep his condition a secret.

For all their kindness, friendship and loyalty, Remus couldn't help thinking if it were not for the convenience of being dorm mates, Sirius and James might not have been his friends… he knew how ungrateful he sounded, but the two of them made so much of sense, where as he… the werewolf…

"Remus? I mean…Lupin?" Remus glanced up, he had walked all the way onto the seventh floor corridor, and he turned to the small voice, finding a short girl with wild blonde hair standing at the top of the sixth floor steps. "I'm… I'm Evelyn O'Byrne."

"Oh…" Remus walked forward hastily, holding his hand out in greeting, he completely forgot that he agreed to chaperone a first time prefect tonight. "Hi. I'm Remus, well you know that already."

She laughed and her cheeks flushed with the action, she had a rosy pale complexion, with a full, healthy face that suited her frame, which Remus couldn't help noticing was quite buxom, if not a tad on the plump side. "Shall we?"

He gestured to the stairs and she twirled about in excitement, she smelt like cocoa butter and there was something soothing in the humbleness of the scent.

The next few minutes were spent exchanging pleasantries, how she was finding being a prefect, advice on how to manage the duty with the growing workload of a fifth year. Her soft voice with a charming Irish lilt to it had Remus opting for silence in the hope that she would fill it.

Despite the thickness of the lock of hair that framed the outline of her face, Evelyn kept trying to restrain it behind her ear in something Remus realized was a nervous tendency, something he found endearing.

It had been such a long while since he spent significant time with someone who wasn't completely sure of themselves, who didn't have him holding his back so straight to feign confidence in an attempt to just fit in with them.

Such a long time since any girl looked up at him with a blush on her face…

Did any girl ever look up at him with a blush on her face?

"You know, we actually met before." She mumbled as they made their way back to the seventh floor, having circulated the designated route, it had been a quiet patrol.

"Really." He frowned, "When?"

"First year. Well my first year, your second. Well of course it was mine, I wasn't around for your first year." She laughed awkwardly, her apple green eyes glossy with embarrassment. "Gobstone club. You attended a meeting."

"Ohhh…" Remus realized the one time he attended a Gobstone Club meeting, just to see what it was about. His father was a collector and was on the Hogwarts team in his time, and Remus contemplated continuing the tradition but the game was just not for him. "Are you still on the team?"

Her eyes lit up momentarily, but then she licked her lips and shrugged nonchalantly, "I attend a meeting now and again." She stilled, "Did you hear that?"

Remus did, his eyes flickering to the floor length portrait of Bridget Wenlock at Evelyn's back and realized where they were precisely.

"Eve-" Remus reached forward to stop her taking the step back that would knock down the bust of Valeria Myriadd, but it was too late.

Evelyn hit the grey stone bust but instead of falling over and breaking, the stone structure hovered at an angle just as the portrait at its side swung open.

The bright blue eyes of Garrick Mulciber glared at Remus as he turned about and something bitter spread through Remus' throat as he fleetingly took in the shirtless image of Aiza Shaffiq but he swiftly averted his eyes.

There was a deep masculine sigh followed by a drawling voice, "Well I suppose that's that."

"Hey… you can't just-"

Before Evelyn could even finish her sentence Mulciber was walking away. Remus felt like he was undergoing a transformation, his pulse quickened and his muscles constricted and he had trouble breathing but he knew that that was impossible… yet somehow he felt a shoot of uncomfortable pain sear through his body.

"Are you just going to… going to let him go?" Evelyn's voice bubble with disappointment, he supposed this was not how she imagined her first time busting a pair of students playing out.

"Ten points from Slytherin. And from Gryffindor as well." Remus' voice was a whisper that carried down the corridor and Mulciber's only response was a derisive laugh.

Remus had to clutch his fist exceedingly tight to prevent him from following the boy.

"Will you put your shirt on!" He snapped, realizing that he probably would do a better job of calming down if he could observe all the occupants of this corridor openly.

Remus heard the familiar sigh, it brushed his neck and somehow the heat that spread through him bubbled again, "Garrick's taken it. I suppose he thinks it's very funny."

He didn't respond, shrugging his cloak of and holding it somewhere to the right of him.

"I don't understand-"

"Oh silly little girl. Everybody knows the rule, as long as both parties pants are on, the matter is always left to slide. If we had to take every single person that got caught in the trysts of passion to their Heads of House, we'd not only be spurring on House warfare but there'd be nobody left unpunished. Except probably you, have you ever even been kissed before little one?"

"Aiza!" Remus snapped but Evelyn blanched in embarrassment.

"Oh good Godric you have't!" The corridor echoed with her deep laughter and Remus turned to the fifth year Hufflepuff.

"Evel-

"I'm going back to the…dormitory."

"Let me walk you."

"No. no. It's okay." Before Remus could even respond the girl was off, a distinct whimper left in her shadow and he started after her.

He stopped as the blonde scampered down the stairs and his throat constricted once more.

Aiza scoffed, the action jostling his cloak of her shoulder momentarily and Remus turned and thundered past her, "You're not serious! Her! I never pegged you for a chubby chaser!"

He crossed the corridor to the Fat Lady in unaccommodatingly long strides. "Flutterby." He snapped at the Fat Lady who huffed indignantly but flung herself open.

"I was only joking, it's not my fault the little Hufflepuff has no sense of humor."

Remus spun around, "Sense of humor! You must be spending too much time with Mulciber because your judgment in humor has gravely dropped."

She rolled her eyes at him and at this proximity Remus could smell her sweat and that hint of Jasmine that had always been signature to just her but now it was convoluted, mixed with Mulciber's cologne making Remus almost want to wretch, "So this is what this is about. Garrick. You know," She laughed, letting his much too big robe slip down slightly and expose a caramel shoulder, "Jealousy is kind of cute on you."

"Jealous." He scoffed, laughing in a mocking way that would make Sirius proud, "Jealous of what? You made Evelyn feel bad for not kissing a single boy, but should it not be you who feels bad for kissing a hundred?"

Her eyes dilated momentarily as she froze at his words, and then with a jerky movement she threw off his cloak and flung it at him. "Take your cloak!"

With resolve Remus never knew he had, he held her stare, his hazel green rays bound to her chocolate ones, at her flushed cheeks but not once glancing below her chin at the exposed skin that he knew would be there. Whether it was clothed in a bra or bare for him to take in every contour, Aiza Shafiq stood topless before him and he did not dare give her the satisfaction of breaking eye contact.

Because this is what she did, when she couldn't fight back with words, she'd fight back with her body, but Remus won't be the loser this time.

"Put this back on." He flicked the cloak back at her and snapped around, storming to the boy's staircases and pushed the door open, disappearing through and slamming it shut resolutely on Aiza Shafiq and all the trouble that accompanied her.

**So! What do you guys think? **

**Feedback will always be appreciated! **

**Kalina**


	4. The Glimpse

**Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers. **

**Chapter Four**

Sirius turned away from the tapestry he was inspecting when he heard the sound of footsteps, "Hey! Pixie!"

The short girl froze in her tracks, hugging herself against the cold of the dungeons, her face flushed a dark pink as her large brown eyes dimmed with disappointment, "No…er… it's Mary…"

"I know Mary." Sirius chuckled and the girl's blush deepened, "I was referring to Tuesday…outside Runes…"

He laughed as her eyes widened comically as realization dawned on her and he waved his hand in dismissal of the subject, "Anyway, it was nice of you to come down here with such short notice."

"Oh no! It wasn't a bother!" She gestured with her hands, fidgeting with her bottom lip as she took in their surroundings. "It's been ages since I've been down in the dungeons… can't say I missed this place."

"You don't take Potions?"

"No." She swallowed, releasing her lip and staring at the ground in embarrassment, "I didn't get an E."

"Neither did Peter." He laughed, the narrow corridor echoing with the sound and Mary offered him a conflicted sort of smile.

She jumped suddenly and twirled around, her hands folding around herself as if in protection, "Isabelle?"

"Mary." Isabella McDougal sauntered forward, tossing her long ginger strands behind her shoulder, her cheeks had a slight pink tinge to it and her chest heaved slightly beneath the white t-shirt, "Black, you best not have made me leave practice early for nothing."

"Isabella, when have I ever wasted your precious time?" The girl rolled her light blue eyes at Sirius but smiled slightly at the grin on his face. "This is Mary by the way."

"Of course I know Mary, she's my cousin you nut." The sixth year Hufflepuff laughed, glancing down at the shorter girl with a conspiratorial shake of her head.

"Well forgive me for not assuming that every person with a Scottish surname is related." Sirius smirked at the tall girl, his eyes bright from the torch he was leaning under. Isabella was a chaser and it was evident from her physique, she was slender yet firm which matched her assertive personality.

Sirius' eyes flickered to the sound of the opening door and he pushed off the wall and crossed the corridor to the source of the noise.

After quite a bit of snooping, most of it involving his furry alter ego's keen sense of smell, Sirius found out that Devon would be having remedial potions down in the dungeons that night and just on time the slight figure made his exit.

Devon's black eyes widened slightly when it landed on the crowd outside his Potions lesson, and Sirius clamped a friendly hand on his skinny shoulder and pulled him forward.

"Ladies. This is Jude Devon! Jude, this is Isabelle. And Mary." Sirius' smile widened as he gestured at Mary, nudging the boy slowly and winking in a way that he thought was covert.

"Black, what's going on? If this is about me sneaking you into my common room-"

"Oh Isabella not everything is about you sneaking me into the Puff common room, though I find the fact that you declined my request the first three times quite disconcerting considering I've never been stingy in offering you new experiences."

Isabella's face flushed red and Sirius' face brightened with mischief as he pulled out a small bottle from behind his back.

"Who's up for some firewhiskey?"

"What?" Isabella's light brows twined together as she looked down at Mary with shared confusion.

"Oh come on, the night awaits…" Sirius gestured at Mary with his head, his eyes firmly on the smaller boy's vacant expression. If he failed to get the message he was probably as smart as he was talkative. "A little bit of night sky. Soft grass." Sirius cocked his head again as if he had a kink in his neck, flabbergasted that the boy was just not getting his hint.

"Wait… you mean… all of us?" Isabella's ginger hair was orange in the light, the sole source of brightness amongst their group.

"Yes, all of us. You and me, Mary and Jude." Sirius smiled as Mary's lips flung open in a shocked gasp.

She stared at Jude Devon for a heartbeat and then spun around and ran up the corridor.

"Hey-"

"You know, this is messed up. Even for you Black." Isabella shook her head soberly at Sirius and twirled about, heading after her cousin.

Sirius raised his brows at the retreating figure. He thought it would make more sense inviting Isabella because apart from hooking up a few times, they actually were somewhat friendly to each other, whilst all Daisy wanted to do was snog. Which Sirius usually didn't mind but would make quite an intense setting for two shy teens to come out of their shell.

"Mate, don't pay attention to Mary. There's nothing wrong with you, definitely nothing gasp wor…thy." Sirius glanced left and right but all he saw was empty corridor.

He sighed, shaking his head and making his way back up to Gryffindor Tower, with any luck Daisy would be feeling a little adventurous, it would be such a shame to waste a good bottle of firewhiskey.

* * *

"All I'm saying is… think about it!" Sirius took the front steps two at a time and spun around, catching his best friend's exasperated smile, "The way you act like it's the worst possible thing in the world. I thought you liked Andy!"

"I do like Andy." James hastened up the stairs, holding his palm up and preventing Sirius from springing on his words, "But I don't _like_ Andy. And she doesn't _like_ me."

"Prongs, mate." Sirius grabbed James around the shoulder as they made their way into the Entrance Hall, faces still slightly flushed even though they had showered and changed after their morning run. "I Siriusly," He chuckled and winked at a group of giggling third years as James rolled his hazel eyes, "doubt… and don't take this the wrong way… you understand what _liking _someone means."

"How does one take that the right way!" James shrugged Sirius off him with a laugh.

"You think Evans _likes _you!" Sirius stated in explanation as they made their way into the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Evans does _like _me. She just doesn't know it yet." Sirius shook his head as James ran a hand through his dark hair as he spotted the redhead approaching them from the top of Gryffindor table.

They walked towards their usual spot, Remus and Peter sitting alongside each other and Sirius realized just how hungry he was when he caught sight of the plateful of sausages and fluffy scrambled eggs that the smaller of the two boys was tucking into.

"Black!" Sirius hit the table slightly as he was uprooted by a hulking figure, large hands ruffling his hair good naturedly, "You bloody dog you!"

His grey eyes met James' in a stifled smirk at the comment as Remus quickly pulled his textbook away from the spilled orange juice. Sirius turned to his attacker who had just released him with a huge grin.

"Bones. You bloody ogre you! Seriously mate, you eat a hippogriff for breakfast or something."

Edgar Bones smiled genially at the comment, glancing down at his large arms with pride. He was hulking, especially for a wizard, one of the largest boys in the school, but much like Hagrid he was a gentle giant.

"Probably nothing compared to the _filling _supper you had last night!" Edgar laughed, his blonde eyebrows suggestively dancing and Sirius frowned in response.

"Hey, if I'm looking a little pudgy it's because- ouch!" Sirius grabbed his right arm as someone smacked it harshly, "What in Merlin's saggy scrotum was that for!" He spat, glaring into the brown orbs of Aiza Shafiq.

"You know what it was for Black!" She stepped forward threateningly.

"Hey now, no need for violence."

"Shut up Bones." Shafiq spat, momentarily imparting some of the venomous glare she was throwing at Sirius on the Hufflepuff. "You better leave now while you still have the ability to father Lan's children."

"Aiza, you can't tell him to shut up, he's the Head Boy!" Lily chided up at her roommate, turning her emerald orbs on Edgar with a strained smile, "Though, perhaps it is better you do leave now Edgar. I do like Lan and I would hate for you to get caught in the crossfire." She then turned her glare on Sirius, holding her willow wand threateningly at him.

"I like you too Lily." A slight girl popped up behind Edgar and the boy seemed to shrink to half his size from the look on the seventh year Gryffindor's face, "What were you saying, Eddy?"

"Babe… nothing… I was just congratulating Sirius-"

"Congratulating him on what!" Snapped Lan Daiyu, her jet black pixie hair more than a head below her boyfriend's chin but he reclined backwards in fear.

"Nothing!" He laughed awkwardly, "Wow your hair looks-"

Lan swatted her boyfriend's approaching hand, glared momentarily at Sirius and then made her way down the table, Edgar groveling behind her.

Sirius shook his head and turned back to the table, jumping slightly as Aiza and Lily were still glowering at him.

He sighed, tired of the girls antics and more than a little hungry and flicked his wand at the orange juice but before he could grab it Aiza snatched the jug away, sloshing some in the process.

"Hey!" Remus snapped, rising to his feet after someone squeaked. It was a chubby blonde girl who Sirius didn't even realize was sitting with them, her wild hair looking wilder now that it was soaked with orange juice.

"Oops." Aiza shrugged innocently as she placed the now half full jug back down on the table, "I didn't see you there."

"Evelyn-" Remus called as the blonde girl jumped up and scampered away, "Really! Really!" He glared at Aiza over the table and the slender girl shrugged nonchalantly.

"I said I didn't see her there. Can you honestly blame me; the girl is practically the definition of wallflower."

Peter snickered as he usually did at Aiza's jokes and Sirius reached for the platter of bacon, his stomach growling in reminder of his hunger.

"No! No bacon for you!"

"Oh come on!" Sirius moaned as Lily snatched the platter away.

"You don't get to eat Black! Not when my best friend is upstairs crying her eyes out!"

"Best friend! Mary's MY best friend."

"Some best friend you are!" Lily snapped at the raven haired girl, strands of her hair freeing itself from her bun as if they were little sparks of protestation, "You're too busy fighting with Remus to help matters."

"Like you're doing a better job! Steal his bacon, that will show him!"

"Could I perhaps have some-"

"Shut up Peter!" The girls sang in unison, turning on the boy who quickly sunk in his seat, watery blue eyes still steadily on the platter in Lily's hand but not daring to say a word.

"Don't tell him to shut up!" Remus snapped at Aiza.

"Oh you keep quiet Potter!" Lily spat.

"I haven't even said a thing!" James blanched as Lily's face went slightly pink at having reprimanded the wrong person.

Lily took a deep breath and lifted her chin imperiously, evidently not a stance for apologizing for mistakes, "Exactly! You just let him do whatever he wants!" She gestured emphatically at Sirius, "You should keep him on a leash!"

Peter choked on his orange juice at that and Remus banged him on the back as Sirius jumped up from his seat, "You know what Evans, your snapping at Prongs is becoming a tad bit tiresome. You can't just take your bad mood out on him all the time! "

"Excuse me!" The redhead recoiled, affronted.

"Don't Padfoot!" James stood, and a good few heads swiveled about to see where all the commotion was coming from.

"You know what, Black is right! You've been a complete bitch recently." There was a culmination of gasps at Aiza's words and a few second year boys seated near the group of sixth years grabbed their bags and scuttled away.

"You're one to talk." Remus muttered under his breath as he patted his mouth with a napkin.

"Lupin, if you have something to say-"

"Will you all just SHUT UP!"

Everyone snapped around, Marlene Dawson was standing there, pink faced in frustration. She turned her attention to Sirius, "Sirius, I don't know what possessed you last night but Mary is NOT that kind of girl. Now, go upstairs and apologize to her."

"Oh Sirius, what did you do?" Remus groaned as he let his napkin fall onto his empty plate.

"Nothing!" Sirius' voice was high pitched in defense. "Except try and please you!"

"Me?" Remus' brows rose in alarm.

"Yeah you. You made me feel all bad for calling Devon scrawny and odd the other night so I tried to fix things."

"Oh Godric." Remus muttered as he shoved his textbook into his bag, "What did you do Padfoot?"

"Nothing bad. If anybody should feel bad it's Mary. She's the one that ran off when she saw Devon. I mean, here I am, trying to do a nice thing and hook those two up…"

"What?" Lily gasped.

"Well I figured he's shy, she's shy-"

"He's shy!" Lily choked out, immune to all the stares they were accumulating, "HE!"

"Yeah, Devon. Evans if you didn't notice the boy doesn't…" Sirius was distracted by the tall tanned girl who appeared to have almost fallen over with laughter, gripping James shoulder for support as Lily took a startled step back.

"You think… Devon is… a boy…"

"I don't think Devon is a boy. Jude Devon IS a boy. What is up with you girls-"

"Oh Godric! You are SUCH an idiot Black!" Aiza straightened up to her full height, her brown eyes were misty with tears and her face radiated amusement, "JudALIA Devon is in the sixth year and SHE is a Gryffindor! If she was a boy why wasn't she rooming with you idiots?"

"No no no… Devon **is** a guy." Sirius backed up, bumping into the table for the second time that morning, sharing none of Shafiq's evident enjoyment, "I'm positive. And I didn't know HE was in Gryffindor."

"Then I suppose McGonagall made a mistake then, placing a boy in a girl's dormitory. That makes so much more sense considering the impossible alternative of you being wrong." Lily stated sarcastically.

"Well I would have to agree with you Miss Evans." Lily jumped and spun around in shock, "Indeed I am mistaken. By thinking my sixth years are adult enough to sit a breakfast in a polite manner, but alas the responsibility is much too difficult for you lot to bear." She held a thin hand up as Lily opened her mouth to defend herself, the deputy headmistresses olive green eyes were relentless, "I do not expect to speak to you again on this matter." And with that final statement she stalked off, leaving the redhead prefect in a state of horror.

"Marlene!" Cassandra Johnson ran up to the group of students, blind to the awkward silence that just descended upon the sixth years, "I've just been to your dorm to return your jumper, is everything okay? I couldn't get in and I could hear crying…"

At Cassandra's words, three pairs of eyes darted back to Sirius and he groaned as Marlene grabbed him by the arm, "Walk Black!"

He tossed the platter fill of bacon a longing glance, feeling as if he'd be lucky to even eat supper at the way this morning was going.

* * *

"Mary?" Sirius walked into the girls' dorm slowly after Aiza spelled it open. Being in the same year as the school's biggest pranksters made the girls in his year very paranoid about security and Sirius glanced back at the now closed door that the girls had pushed him through.

How those three managed to convince him that this was somehow his problem to fix he didn't know, "Mary?"

"What do you want?" Sirius spun around, the voice coming from the closed four poster closest to the window.

He walked towards it, sitting down on the bed next to it which he was positive was Evans as it was painstakingly neat.

"Well I've come to apologize." He rolled his eyes, grateful that she couldn't see that he didn't really feel sorry at all. He hadn't done anything wrong in his opinion but Evans and Shafiq were annoyingly persistent.

"The whole school thinks that… that… last night… that…"

"Oh who cares what the school thinks." He grabbed at the frame on the drawer and stared at Evans family. It was odd how different she looked from her sister.

Sirius always assumed that siblings had to look similar. He and Reg were practically twins when they were younger, most of the differences they had now was manmade, Sirius worked out like a 'common muggle' and had lean muscles whilst Reg looked like the typical pureblood who never had to lift his finger to do anything. Reg would grow his hair long if Sirius cut it and vice versa. He stared at the little redhead girl in the picture, her emerald eyes staring up at her sister in admiration… he remembered what it was like to be looked at like that…

There was a sound of ripping and Mary MacDonalds' head appeared between the scarlet drapes, "I care Sirius!"

He cleared his throat and placed the frame back down on the drawer, "Well you shouldn't! You know what really happened-"

"Yes I do! You… you wanted us… you-" She bit her lip and tears cloaked her eyes and Sirius sprung of the bed, shaking his hands profusely.

"Woah… no! I didn't! Mary, I thought that Devon…" Saying it aloud made him realize how stupid he was for thinking it, "I thought Jude was a boy. I thought you two would… enjoy each other's company."

Mary's face paled, the tears remaining trapped within her large orbs, "So you invited me there… for Devon."

"Yes." Sirius laughed, happy that she finally was getting it, "See, I didn't invite you there for any nefarious reasons! Just a double date… of sorts."

"Oh."

"Yeah! So there's no need to be embarrassed. And shut yourself away. You know how this school is, somebody would knock somebody up by lunchtime and there'd forget all about this mess."

She sighed, pushing the drapes open and sliding out of her bed, she was wearing blue flannel pajamas that were a size too big, "I guess Azura was right."

"Five words I truly think impossible. What did the blonde banshee say." Sirius wandered to the window and stared at the first years making their way to the greenhouses. He chuckled as one tripped and fell in a spot of mud, mini Ted Tonks.

"That there was no way that Sirius Black would have an…orgy and invite me."

He turned away from the window and walked back to the mousy haired girl, "She's completely right." The tears freed themselves from their chamber and rolled down the girl's round face and he glanced at the apparently harmless door as he reached forward and swiped his thumb against her plump cheeks, staring down at her large brown eyes and whispered, "I respect you way too much for that Mary."

She bit her lip and her nose was a startling pink color as she looked two seconds away from fainting. He lowered his hand and turned away from the girl, voicing the question at the door, "Will you please come out now, before your friends murder me."

She snorted, "Like they care. Aiza's probably off flirting with Remus, Lily fighting with Potter and Marlene f…fluttering her eyelashes up at Andrew."

"Fluttering her eyelashes up?" Sirius chuckled and turned back to the girl as she ducked her head.

"It's the only euphemism I could think of." She sighed, "You know I look at you, and Potter and Remus. And even Peter and I get so jealous. You guys are such good friends… we used to be like that. Now everything is different and I'm all alone. Maybe I _should_ hang out with Devon, the two outcasts."

"Oh Mary!" Lily and Aiza barged into the room and Marlene fluttered in after the pair.

"Oh we had no idea you felt that way."

"Of course we're all still friends."

"You'll never be an outcast!"

"You're my best friend." Sirius' brows rose at the declaration made by all three girls in unison.

"He who is everybody's best friend is nobody's best friend."

"Shut up Black." Aiza and Lily chimed together.

"No, he's right." Marlene walked towards Mary, her chestnut hair golden brown in the sunlight staining the room, "Mary is OUR best friend because she's always there for us, but we've been pretty pathetic friends in return. Not just to Mary, to each other as well. Lily, Aiza is right, you've been in such a bad mood lately. You just snap at anyone. And Aiza, I don't even know what happened, you just drifted away last year. You don't tell us anything. You just leave and don't say where you're going. And I know that I've become one of those girls that's constantly with their boyfriend …" She lowered her blue eyes in shame at her own words.

"Well what do expect of me Marlene. Every time I tell you something you lot judge me." Aiza folded her arms defensively.

"Because you're so much better than those idiots that you fool around with." Lily moaned as she turned to the taller girl, "They don't deserve you."

"But it's my life Lil's. I hate feeling like my mother is sleeping in the bed next to mine, like I have to report back to you all the time."

"I just worry about you-"

"I know you do, but you're suffocating. What happened! You used be… fun! AND funny! We'd stay up ALL night talking and just picking on these idiots." Aiza gestured at Sirius as Lily worried her bottom lip, her green eyes misting over, "And now all you know is rules and regulation and work."

"I know." Her voice cracked and Sirius bit back an astonished gasp, Evans was just about the strongest girl he ever came across, "It's just so… hard! I'm taking all these subjects because I want to be Head Girl SO badly."

The room resounded in groans but Lily wiped at a tear that broke free and ducked her face into her palms, "I just want to be able to go home and tell my parents' ONE thing there'd understand! Outstanding in Transfiguration? Perfect score for Charms. That's gibberish to them! Head Girl they'll get!"

"Lily! Of course you're going to be head girl! You're the best at everything!" Marlene walked forward, flinging a comforting arm about her crying friend.

"No I'm not! I'm only the top of the year for like three subjects, Davies is top of her year for EVERY subject and that's how she got Head Prefect this year!"

"Well that's because we have freaks of nature like these monkeys in our year, upsetting the hierarchy with their weird natural talent. Luckily they all have penises." Aiza gave Sirius a once over, "Well I think they do. So you have no competition for Head Girl."

"No competition." Lily lifted her head up and stared at Aiza in disbelief, "Selina Selwyn! Sarah Fawley!"

"Selwyn's a frigid bitch and Fawley is like the most timid creature I've ever met. Will you stop stressing!" Aiza swallowed thickly, "I'd really like my friend back."

"Even if I mother you too much."

"My mother didn't mother me enough, so I guess… you're Fate's way of compensating."

"Oh Aiza!" Lily flung herself at the girl, Mary and Marlene quickly joining the embrace.

Sirius walked forward, "NO!" They chorused, still holding each other comfortably in the way girls could only do.

He shook his head and backed out of the room, grabbing his broom stick and turned, feeling a soft bump at his chest.

He glanced down, seeing the now familiar black eyes.

He narrowed his eyes, taking in the bo…girl's features. The face was very feminine, but Peter's face was like that too and Sirius knew Peter was a boy. He glanced lower, the real conundrum. Sirius was aware that not all girls were gifted equally but none were so robbed than the girl that stood before him.

Flat wasn't even the word.

She side stepped him, still clad in an amorphous track pants and he shook his head, "You owe me bacon."

He stepped on the stairs just as he remembered why he had the broomstick in his hand but it was too late, the stairs flattened and he tumbled quite ungracefully to the bottom.

He grumbled to his feet, cursing himself for forgetting about the girls' staircase but his breath hitched as he caught a glimpse of the girl at the top of the staircase.

Sirius was positive of two things that morning.

That Jude Devon was most definitely a girl.

And he most definitely saw a smile cross her face…

And it was beautiful.

**So? Thoughts? **

**Thanks so much for reading!**

**Kalina**


	5. Stranger

**Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers. **

**A/N: This chapter goes out to DeeLuaa Black! Thank you for the kind words and the reviews! As well as to new followers Turquise Waffles, TheProductivePurplePrincess and Naturegirl15. Hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter Five**

The midday sunshine beamed through the window, highlighting the little specks of dust that danced across classroom 3C, tossing blonde tresses into golden halos, and chestnut flecks into honey spun strands and raven locks into sandy browns that reminded Lily of the Little Hampton beach that her family visited every summer.

Her eyes fell on inky black strands so stubborn that it remained unchanged, even as the sunlight crowned it, churning the hazel specks of his eyes into a warm golden brown that made her think of the autumn leaves and her mother's bed of sunflowers that welcomed her home every July.

"Miss Evans."

Lily's eyes snapped to the front just as the hazel orbs flickered in her direction. Professor Trimble held a scroll of parchment in her olive toned right hand.

Her hair was a wild combination of bronze and greys amid pale blonde that was tucked away by a large black barrette, similar to the way Petunia styled her brown locks whilst hammering at that typewriter their father had bought them last Christmas.

Professor Trimble's cool brown eyes perused the paper, in the same sort of detachment Lily now associated with her teaching method. "Professor McGonagall requests your presence in her office."

Lily tried to appear unfazed, even as Marlene's dark brows curved into each other in confusion as she stared at her on her left, it was not often that their head of house would disrupt a lesson and she tried to ignore Aiza's questioning brown eyes that were glancing at her from the right as she rose from her seat.

She placed her finished assignment on nonverbal spells on Professor Trimble's desk and made her way out of the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom, ignoring an insistent pair of onxy eyes from the last row.

It was an unfortunate twist of fate that the Gryffindors had been paired up with the Slytherins for the shared lessons in Charms and Defence. Lily was grateful for Professor Trimble's theoretical approach to the subject so far, sure that allowing the hostile classroom the use of wands could never lead to anything positive.

Lily fingered the irregular gemstone that lay in her pocket, as if it's calming green color could settle her anxiety as to why she was being summoned to the Transfiguration Mistress' office. She remembered when her sister had gifted her the stone on her tenth birthday, saying that it matched her eyes. Back then Petunia was always looking for things that brought out Lily's eyes, dresses and earrings and their mother's eye shadow which they always used to steal.

She made her way down to the ground floor, positive that she was not in trouble. She knew Professor McGonagall was fond of her, even though Lily wasn't the best in the year for Transfiguration thanks to Potter and Black; the deputy headmistress seemed to care more for her diligence and politeness rather than Potter and Black's strange affinity for the subject.

It's why Lily was still mortified at Professor McGonagall's words as she chided her for her conduct in the Great Hall during the incident with Mary and Black.

It didn't help matters that Selina Selwyn had managed to answer all of the questions posed in Transfiguration on Tuesday due to Lily distractedly staring out at the sky in anticipation.

She knocked at the door and straightened her back, forcing the unnecessary anxiety away as she heard the cool voice chime come in.

She did so, walking briskly to the figure in olive green robes which made the square rimmed eyes glow a deep green, "Professor McGonagall, Professor Trimble received a note stating that you wanted to see me."

"Yes Miss Evans." The older lady glanced away from the assignment she had been grading and looked up at Lily with the kind of paradoxical stare unique to the teacher, a stare of sternness but concern, "Is everything alright Miss Evans. You seemed distracted during our last lesson."

Lily quickly licked her lips, unsure how to respond.

What should she say? That she was distracted because she was desperately awaiting a response from her older sister. A response from the letter Lily had spent one week perfecting, just to wish the older girl a happy birthday, enclosing a hand chain Lily spent months saving up for.

A response that never came on Tuesday, nor did it come yesterday or today, yet Lily still stared hopefully up at the delivery owls each morning and glancing out of windows… always expecting…

What would the Deputy Headmistress know of strained sibling relationships?

The only person Lily could ever talk to about it was now a stranger to her, a stranger who wore the face of her oldest friend, her dearest friend…

"It's nothing Professor. Just a little start of term jitters I suppose."

Professor McGonagall let out a small sigh, "I understand. The sixth year is probably the most imperative academic year of your educational career… I did warn you about your subject load."

"No, no I am managing Professor." Lily had taken on eight subjects, and even though she seemed to be constantly writing essays and answering assignments she enjoyed the distraction.

Professor McGonagall leaned forward and there was an unusual conspiratorial gleam in her eyes, "Miss Evans, I do know it is your ambition to become Head Girl."

Lily stilled, recalling how Aiza had offhandedly stated that she was obsessed with becoming Head Girl. Aiza didn't understand, she could leave every holiday and feel like she returned home, not like she was an alien that resembled the girl framed on her parents' mantelpiece.

Professor McGonagall didn't wait for a response and continued, "Whilst you are most definitely the most qualified candidate for the position and the decision is months and months away… I must remind you that these matters are very, very political."

The teacher pushed the stack of papers together and allowed Lily her full attention, "All of the staff and the governing body have their say in the matter, and even though they are just four candidates, it would be naïve of us to ignore the fact that the McDougals, the Fawleys and especially the Selwyns are all very old and very formidable families with many ties in the school."

"Do you think because I'm a muggleborn… that I won't have a fair chance."

Lily couldn't help the bitterness that leaked into her tone. She didn't pay much attention to the fact that the other prefects in her year were all purebloods, it never seemed to matter before. She was always the top of the year. The hardest working.

Was all that effort for naught?

If she was an outsider here and an outsider at home… where did she even belong?

"We are living in temperamental times Miss Evans, the climate of the Wizarding World is indeed grave, I am sure that I need not remind you."

It was true, Lily required no reminder. Every day she opened the newspaper she was reminded of the target tattooed on her back just because she was born different. Every day when some green tied bigot whispered the m-word in her direction she was reminded of the mad man that shook the foundation of the world she had grown to love.

"What do you suggest Professor?" She knew her house mistress did not dare suggest she give up and Lily would not think it. If anything, just to spite all those prejudiced ponces she'll try that harder. She won't let them be right. She won't let that despicable man's beliefs flow into the sanctity of this school.

"The position of Head Prefect has always been notable considering it very much weighs the outcome of future leaders. There hasn't been a Minister of Magic that was not Head prefect in their time at school. Considering we do not have tertiary education like muggles, the achievements we hold in school very much contribute to the chances of employment post-Hogwarts. I know you wish to be a Healer Miss Evans, and I told you I would do everything that I can to help you with that, and having this on your application would definitely affect your acceptance considering how exclusive St Mungo's are in their selection. Now, your academic script is impeccable, the best in the year by far, but the Head Girl is more than a knowledgeable figure. Both Miss McDougal and Miss Selwyn are on their house quidditch teams, Miss McDougal is even the captain of the Hufflepuff team. Miss Selwyn is the captain of the Gobstone club."

Lily bit her lip, she had no extra-curricular activity. Nothing. She couldn't play quidditch, she never understood Gobstones no matter how many times Sev tried explaining it to her and she joined the wizard chess club for a brief period in her second year but she left because she just couldn't make herself love the game.

Well… there was the Slug Club but that didn't count for anything, it was practically a dinner party club and it held no proper relevance to any sort of enhancing skills or academics.

"So I should join a club?"

"No. I think any reason to join a club in school should be passion. Not just a need to serve an agenda. Though Miss Evans, nobody could deny that you are a leader. You take initiative in matters that reward you with no certifications. You are always the most helpful student, to your peers and those in the younger years. I am of course speaking of the idea you broached with me a few weeks back, a…get together of sorts for the first years in the Common Room. I do think this is a great idea, and shows that you take an interest in the life of the school rather than filling up your own credentials."

Lily smiled slightly, "So you'll allow it."

"Of course. Though I trust you understand that you are completely responsible for those students in your care. I won't have them running around with lions branded on their bald heads." She muttered and Lily laughed.

"Of course Professor. I already spoke to Potter and he promised to behave. I won't even let them near the children."

"I did let slip to Professors Akita and Trimble of your initiative, they were in Ravenclaw so it will take a bit of convincing to win them over. Filius, as much as he adores you, has to be supportive of his house candidate."

Lily nodded, feeling slightly at ease about her odds but she was curious why McGonagall chose now to speak to her, surely it could wait. "Is that all, Professor?"

She smiled, a rare smile, "Seems my competitiveness has gotten in the way of the matter at hand. Here."

She handed Lily an envelope which she took curiously. "It arrived by muggle post and the Hogsmeade Post Office sent it over, as is customary it came to me to re-direct it to the necessary student. I thought… perhaps it might be important?"

Lily couldn't convey in words how important the writing on the envelope was to her, she instead nodded a thank you at the deputy headmistress and walked out of her office, stopping just outside where she tore the envelope open with trembling fingers… she saw the familiar script… a script she used to try and emulate when she was four years old and could barely hold a pen.

_Lily_

_It was quite an elaborate surprise, I must admit, and I could tell it didn't have anything to do with your freakishness because I saw them growing all through the summer but today was the first time I saw them from your bedroom window. _

_Gill and Patty are absolutely jealous, they think that Vernon had done it and I'm inclined to let them believe that it was him. He bought me a diamond tennis bracelet by the way, three months pay he says._

_Your hand chain is too big, I've given it to mum. _

_Daddy insisted on taking pictures, which I've enclosed. _

_Thanks. _

_Petunia_

Lily frowned, too confused to even be distressed that the hand chain didn't fit and that Petunia didn't even mention the letter she wrote.

She searched the envelope and found the photo, flipping it over to the glossy texture displaying an unfamiliar scene.

It was part of the garden seen from her own bedroom window… but where mum usually grew hydrangeas, a blossoming of white petunias sat, arranged systematically to spell…happy birthday…

But why would Tuney think it was her?

She glanced at the photo once again and then she found her answer.

A single pink lily amidst the fair flowers and her heart constricted, deaf to the pattering of feet as lessons ended and classrooms emptied and she was bustled as students rushed down for lunch.

She snapped her head up suddenly as sound became audible once again and she hastened down the stairs and crossed the Entrance Hall, straight to the dungeons as she quickly single out the head of black, "You did this?"

It was a redundant question…that was his trademark really. That pink lily. She'd find it on her doorstep when they were children, signaling that she should go to the park. That he would be waiting.

He kept the habit as they started Hogwarts, leaving it around the school, always bringing a smile to her face when she happened upon it.

His black eyes flickered to the photograph Lily held out to him, as he moved out of the way of the surge of students making their way from the potions classroom and he stepped to the left, closer to the wall and into the shadow of the Statue of Mopsus.

He didn't respond to her question, after months of begging for forgiveness, after even a desperate visit to her house in the summer, he was suddenly rendered silent.

"She hadn't responded to any of my letters in six years." Lily swallowed back tears.

"I'm sorry." His voice was so familiar to her, it was as if there were special receptors in her ears attuned to just that.

How many times did he reassure her with that voice? Console her. Humor her. Advise her.

"What for?" Lily glanced down at the picture, "It was a brilliant idea… when did you plant them?"

"The day you left for Little Hampton. There was a chance there'd blossom before her birthday, or she'd glance at them beforehand… it's why I thought it better to arrange them outside your window."

"She says thanks. By the way." Lily didn't really know what to make of it. Petunia and Severus despised each other.

"I didn't do it for her Lily. I sent her the note saying to look out your window and I knew she would think it was from you the same way you knew it was really from me." He glanced at the pink lily in the photo, "But none of this was for her. You know that."

It was probably the best gift Severus could ever give her. He spent years telling her to ignore the fact that her sister hated her, that they would never be close again.

To give up, that yearning for her affectionate was belittling and fruitless.

But this.

This was more than an apology.

This was Severus putting aside his ironclad opinions.

Severus digging into the dirt when he hated gardening.

Severus giving her hope.

"Sev… I-"

"Severus!"

Red and black snapped around and Lily's lips held a firm line when it fell on the raven haired curls.

There was something inhumanly beautiful about the porcelain skin, cold hard lines that grouped together to form something pretty yet harsh at the same time.

"Oh. Well this is interesting."

Bellatrix Black's voice made a shiver run up Lily's back but she would never show it, holding her chin up at the seventh year Slytherin as a boy who looked like her younger brother trailed behind her as she walked towards them.

Lily knew who he was. Regulus Black. Sirius' brother, it was startling how alike they looked yet such distinct differences in the way he held his lips and his wrinkle free face as if the boy never smiled nor knew how to.

" I thought we had finally cured you of your mudblood affliction Severus. What's that? "

In the kind of completely impolite way that only Bellatrix Black could accomplish, in a way so distinctly rude and brash that Lily was not prepared to combat it, the dark girl flicked her wand and Lily felt the letter leave her hand and she took an involuntary step forward as if magnetically attracted to the floating envelope, "A love letter?"

"Give it back, Black!" Lily had chanted those words a thousand times. Sirius stealing her charms assignment. Sirius pulling out her hair tie. Sirius tossing her pencil case over her head to James. Yet never did she convey the words with such hatred.

"I'd watch your tone if I were you." Her black eyes shone like the tinted glass of a limousine Lily once watch drive past her house, poised and elegant and stinking of superiority.

Lily snapped her wand to summon the envelope but Bellatrix was quicker and with a puff of smoke she watched the white envelope curl into itself.

"Bellatrix!" Snape hissed, grabbing the burning envelope with his bare hands as Lily's vision distorted with red rage. She turned her wand in anger at the girl.

"You-"

"Ah. Lily."

Lily took a deep breath as she heard Professor Slughorn and she mechanically lowered her wand, "What a surprise. And Bellatrix and Regulus and Mr Snape. I suppose you're here to find out when's our first meeting."

He pointedly averted his eyes from Severus in an attempt to not address the hippogriff in the corridor which was that even though Severus was the best student in potions, he was not a member of the Slug Club.

McGonagall's words from earlier ringed in Lily's head and she willed herself to find control, to restrain herself as Bellatrix answering Slughorn became background noise as Lily hastened down the corridor.

"Lily." It was Severus, he rushed towards her as she hovered at the foot of the steps to the Entrance Hall, "I'm sorry."

He repeated the words he said before five minutes ago, but unlike before she didn't feel like he had nothing to apogise for.

The envelope was half burnt and she didn't even care for the red welt on his palm as he handed it to her.

Suddenly that baritone… that voice of reassurance and consoling disappeared.

Replaced by the biting bark of mudblood reverberating in her mind.

And she walked away from the stranger wearing her friend's face, her sister's words sprinkled ash in her hand.

**Thoughts? This is a little bit of explanation as to why Lily has been in such a terrible mood lately. I think she's feeling a lot of confusion about her place in life, especially with everything going on in the Wizarding World and she really feels Petunia's indifference now that Severus is absent from her life. **

**I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing, **

**Kalina**


	6. The Divide

**Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers. **

**Chapter Six**

The sound of metal meeting ceramic resounded across the Hall, swallowed by the hundred pairs of chinking cutlery that sang through the lunch hour and Sirius turned to his dark haired friend, "You're not serious."

James had the decency to look abashed at his best friend's proper use of the word, portraying just how serious he was, "She asked Padfoot. What could I say? No?"

"Yes! Yes, no is exactly what you say!" Sirius looked at Peter for back up but the boy was too preoccupied with his second piece of Shepherd's pie. Sirius on the other hand, felt like he had completely lost his appetite and pushed away his plate.

"Look, I don't like it anymore than you do, I want to prank the first years just as much as you do! But, she asked us to hold off, she didn't command, didn't demand, just merely requested that we don't ruin her whole sleepover thing." James pushed his square frames up the ridge of his nose, something he did when he was uncomfortable, "Personally I think this is a good thing, we haven't done anything of consequence to the Snakes in a while, they might have forgotten we existed, I think Old Snivellus needs a reminder."

Sirius snorted, "Don't try to distract me with the glittering possibilities that is that oily haired bastard. And did you perhaps ponder the consequences of your actions Prongs? You do know the first years were expecting this? No, actually they were looking forward to this, nicking them ice cream and cupcakes now just make us look like pansies if it doesn't follow embarrassment and emotional scarring."

James glanced down at his untouched piece of pie, a look of guilt Sirius could plainly see from his seat across from him, "Actually… we're not allowed near them at all."

Sirius made a sort of choking noise at that, and Peter patted him on the back in concern, to which the taller boy shoved him off, annoyed.

This was truly unfair, he had such plans for the firsties, it was going to better than last year! Much better!

His grey eyes caught on a scene at the entrance and he groaned as he took an absentminded bite of pie, "He isn't Sirius about her, is he?"

James beamed in response to his friend's 'correct' pronunciation of the word and followed Sirius' gaze, "I suppose so?"

Sirius shook his head as Remus made his way towards them, thankfully parting from the short blonde girl who seemed to be popping up everywhere. He had no qualms with the girl… she wasn't unattractive… she just… was not right for Remus. He needed someone to pull him out of his shell, not push him in deeper.

"They're not going out. He said his tutoring her in Muggle Studies." Peter made a face at that as he helped himself to the last slice of pie, "What kind of nitwit needs help in Muggle Studies though?

"You." Peter jumped as Remus glared at him as he slid into the seat next to James. He quickly shoveled half the piece of pie into his mouth so as to not have to respond.

"So, are you two a thing now?" Sirius took in his sandy haired friends slightly pale complexion, it always took a few days for him to return to his normal tone after the full moon which had past a few days ago. In contrast to Remus' pale demeanor, Sirius was chipper and bright, he loved their monthly adventures.

Remus busied himself with pouring some pumpkin juice, "Not everyone is incapable of befriending a member of the opposite sex."

An affronted look slipped over the grey eyed boy's face, "I have plenty of female friends."

"Name one you haven't kissed?" Remus cocked a brow that clearly said checkmate and Sirius busied himself with his pie as he wracked his head.

"Andy!" He shouted in triumph.

"Andy doesn't count Sirius, she's your cousin."

Sirius barked a laugh in response, "Shows how much you know about my lovely family. Speaking of Andy, you think she's pretty, right Moony."

Remus blanched over his glass of juice, "Andy? Yes… I suppose, why?"

Sirius straightened in his seat in excitement, "Great! When should I arrange a little introduction-"

"Woah woah woah." James chuckled as Remus placed his glass down, "Firstly, I already know Andy so you don't have to introduce us. Secondly, we seriously have to have a talk about this sudden cupid phase you seem to be entering. And thirdly, Andy hardly seems like she needs any help finding a boyfriend so what is it with you throwing her at all of us, like a piece of steak?"

"He hasn't thrown her at me." Peter sulked and Sirius' eyes flickered to him momentarily.

"It's nothing personal Wormy, she just doesn't like blondes."

"But I'm not blonde-"

Sirius' attention was already back on Remus, "So, what I got from that is you think she doesn't need help finding a boyfriend… so you think she's hot?"

"Who's hot?" Aiza Shafiq hopped onto the bench next to Peter, "Oh, did I just interrupt a conversation about yours truly." She pointed a finger at her smiling lips, "Do go on, let's hear how hot you think I am Remus. Start from the bum and work your way up."

Remus lowered his hazel green eyes at her, obviously thinking of a witty response but James cut over him, "Is Evans okay? Why did McGonagall want her?"

Aiza shrugged, "I haven't seen her yet, thought she'd be down here. Oh, we're all out of pie!" She turned, glancing down the table and pouted, "And it's all the way down the table…"

"I'll go get it." Peter volunteered, pink faced at being this close to Shafiq.

"Oh would you! You are such a darling." Aiza leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek and Sirius had to nudge the boy to snap him out of the dreamlike state he seemed to have descended into.

"Would you not do that?" Remus whispered as Peter scampered up the aisle.

"Jealous?" Aiza cocked a dark brow at the boy.

"Heartbreakingly so." Remus drawled sarcastically and James and Sirius swapped an amused look. Remus was hardly ever sarcastic, a characteristic that only ever cropped up in the presence of the girl at Sirius' side, "You know how long it took for him to get over you, and he just stopped muttering your name in his sleep."

"He still does that. Though he's not asleep and the drapes, their drawn and…" Sirius waggled his brows suggestively and Aiza laughed and turned back to Remus.

"You make it sound as if we dated."

"In his head you dated. Dated, got married, had two children named Allen and Delilah."

The table erupted into laughter at that, "Oh and by Allen, you mean Sirius. All your first born sons are to be named after me." Sirius flourished his fork threateningly at his friends opposite him.

"Delilah? In what universe am I going to name my daughter Delilah? I think you're spending too much time with your little Puff ball."

"My what?" Remus snapped.

"Oh you know, blonde Hufflepuff, this high, round as a ball." Aiza laughed as Remus glowered at her.

"Everything is about looks to you, isn't it? Is it inconceivable for you to care for someone for who they are rather than what they are?"

The girl rolled her brown eyes, and tossed her long dark hair over her shoulder, "Oh Godric, don't Remus. Personality is for ugly people. We don't have to worry about such nonsense."

Aiza's smirk fell off her face as Remus didn't respond to that, his eyes darkening slightly and James and Sirius swapped a concerned look.

"Here." Peter dropped into his seat, pushing the pie towards Aiza, "Had to wrestle Edgar for it all the way in the Hufflepuff table."

Sirius highly doubted that Peter would have survived if Edgar had to wrestle him and the awkward silence was thankfully broken by Mary who swung her legs over the bench next to Sirius, slapping a magazine down on the desk, "Did you see? The Ravenclaws are in the lead, Selwyn's apparently won a whole lot of points for them in some interhouse gobstone competition."

"I wouldn't bother about that, first match is in a few weeks and we'd more than make up for it. Speaking of, where is Marlene, I need to let her know about practice tomorrow night."

Mary shrugged, "Probably with Andrew, but I'll let her know."

James stopped paying attention as his eyes clamped on the entrance and Sirius didn't need to look to know that a certain redhead just walked in. He sighed, sometimes he preferred when his best friend was a deer, at least then he could pay attention to the important things. Sirius was also sure antlered Prongs would never had called off a prank, if anything deer Prongs would map out a plan of action on the sand with his antlers because he was awesome like that.

Sirius glanced down at the magazine Mary had left on the table, "Ooh a muggle magazine. Where'd you get one of those! Pixie, I'd never think you were the type!" Sirius snatched the magazine up from Mary and quickly turned to the centerfold and frowned, "Where's the naked girls? Logan's ones always have naked girls."

Mary rolled her eyes at Sirius, "Logan and my mother obviously subscribe to different magazines."

"What's a hermapoditee." Peter squinted at the cover page of the lifestyle magazine, the article names scattered about it to catch the attention of potential readers, as Sirius placed the rag back down in disappointment.

"A what?" Remus' frowned at his friend.

"Not hermapoditee Peter. Hermaphrodite." Mary corrected glancing at the word the boy was talking about, easy to do as it was in large bold letters. Sirius thought that Mary quite liked having Peter around, someone she could correct and roll her eyes at, "I think it's someone who has both…is both a boy and a girl."

Peter sighed, "You can't be both a boy and a girl at the same time, don't be daft Mary."

Mary narrowed her eyes at the boy, "What would you know about muggle customs. And don't say you get an E in Muggle Studies, we all know Remus does your assignments."

Aiza leaned over Peter, shutting him up from whatever he was about to say, "Is that really true? Muggles can have both? Really? Well this explains a lot."

"A lot about what?" Lily had just joined the conversation, neatly sliding into the seat next to Remus.

"Devon's sudden appearance! Her constant silence, she probably sounds like a man! Her hiding away in the dorm ALL the time."

"Her lack of breasts." Sirius chipped in, suddenly excited by the theory, "The hair!"

"Devon's a hermaphrodite!" Sirius and Aiza chipped in together and burst into laughter.

"Ewe." Peter spat out as he looked up at Aiza's laughing face hopefully, eager to join in the fun, "What a…" She looked at him expectantly and he sputtered, "Weirdo."

Sirius shook his head at his friend's lame response.

"Please, do we have to discuss this whilst I'm eating." James snapped in disgust just as there was a clatter of breaking glass.

They all looked to the source, finding it to be just a few seats away and Mary gasped as Lily jumped to her feet as the girl in question scuttled past, face to the floor as she dashed for the entrance.

"Was that Devon?" Remus muttered in concern.

"Oh Godric! She heard you!" Lily snapped at James as Remus joined her in standing and they both hurried after the girl.

The rest of the group followed, Sirius unsure why. What were they going to do?

"Jude!" Lily called as the girl was already up on the first floor and the Gryffindor prefects hastened up the grand staircase to follow her. "Jude!" Lily glanced back, seeing James and the rest of them and stopped, "What are you doing? Haven't you done enough already!"

"I haven't done anything." James spat, "If you don't recall it was Sirius and Shafiq who-"

"Oh it's ALWAYS someone else's fault isn't it!"

"I suppose EVERYTHING is my fault, whilst the solution to everything lies at your feet!" James snapped and Sirius' brows rose, he didn't think James had ever taken that tone with Lily before, "Evans, always dashing to the rescue. You can't keep your nose out of others business."

"You're one to talk! You practically bully anybody-"

"I don't bully Evans! Maybe it looks like bullying to Miss Holier than thou-"

"Four on one! Four on one isn't bullying?!" Lily had taken a threatening step forward, James was on the step below her and at this instance they were almost eye to eye.

James shook his head, his glasses glinting as the sunlight hit it, hiding the disappointed look Sirius knew to be on his face, "Seriously! Seriously after what he called you! After what he did to you-"

"Because of you!"

James looked as if he had been slapped across the face, he took a step back and looked up at Evans, "Me? He called you a…a…my fault!"

"You couldn't just leave him alone! You had to ridicule him in front of everyone! If you hadn't he would never had said that! If you hadn't, I'd still have my best friend!" With that strangled sentence she turned on her heel and ran off, Mary and Aiza hurrying after her.

"Mate-" Sirius reached for James shoulder as Peter seemed to be trying to merge with the banister.

"Forget what I said earlier. I'm done."

Sirius didn't ask what James was exactly done with as his friend snapped around and hurtled down the stairs, and none of the joy he thought at having the prank back on came.

He glanced at Remus who looked just as disappointed, turning and making his way up the staircases, his shoulders drooping.

"I thought Lily said Mary was her best friend." Sirius turned to Peter, his watery blue eyes filled with confusion and Sirius had to stop himself from thumping the boy on the back of the head in exasperation.

"Come on Wormy. We have lots of planning to do."

**A/N: So just a heads up to anyone who found the talk about hermaphrodites offensive, I of course do not share the immature views of Sirius and Aiza, even James and Peter. In the same contradictory breath, don't think too harshly of them, people can be quite crude and insensitive when hanging out with friends. **

**How are you guys feeling the story so far? **

**Reviews are always appreciated! **

**Kalina**


	7. Into the lions den

**Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers. **

**Chapter Seven**

Lily turned sharply onto the second floor of the boys' dormitories, momentarily taking in the short corridor that housed the four doors.

She started quickly towards the closest one on the left, just as she caught sight of a tall figure with dark hair and she groaned, hurrying towards her destination.

Her haste was unnecessary though as she realized it was just Frank Longbottom, the seventh year's blue eyes twinkling in amusement, "Lily?"

"Frank. I was just-"

"No. No explanation needed. No judgments here." Frank smiled knowingly and made his way towards the spiral staircase that led to the common room, disappearing in quick strides before Lily could get another word out.

Lily huffed in frustration, dragging the same air into a deep calming breath. The only thought that comforted her was that it had been Frank that had seen her, he wasn't one to spread rumors about her visiting the boys' dormitories at eight in the evening, and the only person he was likely to share the information with was Alice Burke and she didn't seem to be much of a gossiper. Well Lily hoped that she wasn't.

She straightened up, and rapped curtly on the door, taking in the name plaque that framed it and in an audible procession of footsteps it flung open and she glanced down at the brunette boy in front of her, his only greeting a cocked brow, whilst there was a squeal behind him.

Lily glanced over his shoulder at the source of the sound, which was a blonde twelve year old who seemed to be crouching behind his trunk to hide his bare chest, a hard feat considering he was easily the tallest boy in the room and she bit back a laugh.

"Evans."

She knew the voice and shouldered past Walter Brown who had opened the door for her and walked to the middle of the room where Nathaniel Fairbrother sat on his bed, his red hair so much like hers that people had thought that he might be a relative.

The only thing she had in common with the little weasel though, was that they both were muggleborns. She placed her hand on her waist and stared severely down at the boy, "You were meant to report downstairs half an hour ago."

Nathaniel shrugged; a troublesome amount of haughtiness on his young face that brought back memories of a taunting bespectacled boy who flicked flobberworm mucus into her hair in second year, "We're not going. And before you say that we have to, Dukes checked and it isn't compulsory to attend this… sleepover thing you _girls_ arranged."

He said girls like just uttering the word might make him break out in hives and Lily bit her tongue, remembering what her mother always said about catching more flies with honey, "I know it isn't compulsory, it's just that you'll miss all the fun. And you'll regret it."

"We'll live." Lily glanced at the boy who spoke and prevented an eye roll.

"Cornfoot, there'll be lots of sweets-"

"I hate sweets. They're horrid for the teeth." He jumped up from the bed, his silky royal blue pajamas bringing out his dark blue eyes.

"Well they'll be activities! Fun activities-"

"Highly doubt it." Silas Dukes glanced away from _Hogwarts a History_; his black hair falling into his dark eyes in a way that was so reminiscent of Severus, Lily's heart gave a pang. "It seems like a gross waste of time."

"Plus, there'll only be girls there." Lily narrowed her eyes at Fairbrother, knowing exactly where he got that information from, "I'm not spending my Saturday night playing dress up and painting each other's nails."

Because lying on your bed and staring at that stupid quidditch poster is any better? Instead of voicing her thoughts she tried to think of the best way to get these boys downstairs.

"Would the Siren be there?" Lily turned to the Irish lilt, Finbar Canavan stood furthest away from the door, he had thick dark hair that contrasted well with his pale cheeks.

"The what?"

"He means Aiza Shafiq. And she won't be. I checked." Brown spoke from the door, "She's going for some party and Dawson won't be there either so it would be just Evans and that short girl that's always bumping into things. Remember last week when she-"

"I don't know where you get your information from but Aiza will be there!" Lily snapped, just barely keeping her civility.

These boys were almost as annoying as Potter and co. in their first year. If McGonagall hadn't been so impressed by this idea Lily would have just left them to do whatever it is that silly little boys did on Saturday night's.

"Well that changes things." Fairbrother finally straightened of his bed, his light brown eyes glancing over Lily, "Is that what you're wearing?"

She ignored the snickers and glared at the boy, straightening up to show off her green flannel pajamas with pride. It had been a gift from Marlene two Christmases ago and had a heating charm on it and little gold unicorns that danced about, "It's a pajama party."

"Oh say it isn't so. Please say sixteen year old girls don't go to bed like that!" Brown moaned in disbelief, he was quickly becoming one of her least favourite boys, how on earth was his older brother, Samuel, so charming in comparison?

"Don't worry Walt, Evans is very much an exception to the rule." Lily took a deep breath at the voice, feeling her nerves snap just by his presence. "Nothing but tiny shorts and see through tops in real life."

She turned and her words were startled away by the sight of a shirtless James Potter.

He leaned against the door, he's bare shoulder pressed into the wooden frame, cushioned by a lean coil of muscles and Lily quickly raised her eyes and clamped them on his hazel orbs which were free of his usual spectacles. Somehow they were lighter, so bright, almost like honey… and just like a fly Lily was caught.

He straightened off the door frame but remained at the entrance, the little drops of water that slipped from his hair was bright in the lamplight behind him, his shower fresh scent permeating the room as she pulled her eyes away from the thin trail of hair on his abdomen that disappeared beneath the waist of his black track pants.

Lily fought of a blush as she mused over his previous statement. Potter never had a girlfriend; he was much too immature for one. Something he clearly displayed during their shouting match on Thursday, they had stayed clear of each other since and Lily could have gone another few weeks without seeing those abs again. She blanched in shock at her thought, fixing her eyes back on his.

"I suppose you're accustomed to the nighttime attire of sixteen year old girls."Her voice was unusually husky due to the dryness that descended upon her throat and she swallowed uncomfortably.

"Very much so. I could write books." Lily was positive that he was bluffing… he had to be… "You boys' not heading down?"

Almost as if he had shouted at them like a drill sergeant the six boys jumped up and made their way downstairs and Lily glowered at the shirtless buffoon, the distraction that was his well formed upper body broken by her annoyance.

Just then she spotted a light red scar that hinted on his chest, "What happened there?"

Her curiosity outweighed her need to storm away from the infuriating boy and he shrugged and Lily had to stare at the stupid quidditch poster on their left so she didn't ogle the way those thin, strong muscles coiled at the action, "Rough night."

He didn't elaborate and Lily dare not ask? Rough night? Scratch marks on his chest? Apparent knowledge on how a teenage girl dressed to sleep…

She dashed forward and willed herself not stop at the fact that he still did not move. She held her chin straight and ensured she looked unfazed as she slipped through the narrow space that he allowed her, arms like lava where they brushed her own, and her hair momentarily fluttering across his slightly damp chest.

The heating charm on her pajamas must have been malfunctioning, it was the only logical reason that her blood seemed to prickle beneath her skin.

All aggravation she felt was purely because there was a human being dumb enough to hook up with James bloody Potter.

She shoved through the door and crossed the common room to the Girls' staircase, realizing only halfway up that she didn't tell Potter that she didn't need his help. That the boys were already going to go downstairs and she had the situation perfectly under controlled and there was absolutely no reason his shirtless chest needed to make an appearance.

"Lily? Oh good. Do you know where I left my diamond studs, I feel like the sapphires are too much." As she entered her dormitory all Lily's anger at James Potter dissipated at the sight that was her dark haired friend.

Aiza wore a sapphire blue mini dress that clung to her curves like a second skin, contrasting beautifully with her tone and her hair fell over her bare shoulders in silky curls, her considerable décolletage on display with the deep neckline of the dress.

The white silk robe that she threw on the dress matching her stilettos and Lily gulped guiltily at the amount of effort her friend had made to get ready. She couldn't possibly ask her to stay now…

Lily watched as Aiza puckered her lips at the mirror… it was actually an uncharacteristic amount of effort in actuality.

Aiza never fussed much about her clothes because everything she owned was beautiful and therefore interchangeable, but there was something about the way she kept pushing her hair behind her ear and then pulling it forward that made the confident girl look nervous.

"Lily?"

Lily walked to Aiza's bed which was closest to the bathroom. Their usually neat room was untidy, considering Aiza had been getting ready for the party and Marlene ready for her date with Andy, whilst Mary and Lily had been unable to clean up after the two as they were down in the kitchens most of the day preparing the treats for tonight. "You clipped them onto your scarf so you won't lose them."

"Of course!" Aiza gasped, grabbing her scarlet and gold scarf that was loosely tired around a bed post, the dainty diamond studs glinting at Lily from her seat across the room.

Her eyes flickered through the room, the five beds arranged neatly, three opposite the two which sat on either side of the bathroom. One of those two was Aiza's, the other being Judalia Devon's, which was draped closed, a normal occurrence.

"Lucky sent a letter specifying that nobody is to where blue, can you believe the little bitch? Godric, if my mother hadn't threatened to marry me off to Balbinus Blishwick I wouldn't even go…is everything alright? Are those little hooligans annoying you already?"

Lily sighed, fidgeting with one of the ten dresses Aiza threw on her bed thinking that it was just one hooligan that was annoying her and wondering if Aiza knew who Potter had been with and if she did know why she hadn't told her.

She brushed her fingers over a black satin dress, wondering how Potter managed to keep his hair so dark, remembering the way it clung to his neck in straight wet strands that made Lily think of the comforting feeling of ink seeping into parchment.

"Lily!" Aiza huffed and she snapped her head up, jumping off the bed and pushing away the thoughts of the troublesome boy.

"Do you think I can borrow this?" Lily grabbed at one of the silk night dresses that Aiza always slept in from her friend's trunk, it was a light pink one that just about covered Aiza's bottom but would be a decent enough length on Lily.

"Erm… sure. Take it!" Aiza laughed, glancing at the mirror and tying the white silk robe at her neck, her pretty brown eyes caught Lily's and she stilled, turning around with a frown, "Why do you want it?"

Lily shook her head, letting the material slip over her hands, "Those little idiots didn't want to come if you're not there. They call you the siren by the way!"

Lily's statement which would garner offense by any other girl instead brought a beaming smile with Aiza, "Really?"

"Yes. So they're going to want to leave if you're not there so I thought maybe…" She sighed and stared down at the stupid pink nightie.

"You're going to seduce a bunch of first years-"

"No!" Lily squealed, "I'm just…. They're going to stay! Not because Potter told them to but because they'll want to! Because…"

She let out a frustrated growl and unbuttoned her pajamas, Godric all her morals and values were thrown out the window but she'd rather walk downstairs half naked than let him believe that those boys were down there because he asked them to.

"Oh stop!" Aiza grabbed the dress from her, shaking her head down in amazement, "You hate these things, you know you can't use a bra with it?"

"No…but it doesn't look like that when you use it…" Aiza always managed to look beautiful in them, not slutty or desperate, just beautiful.

"Because I'm about a cup size smaller than you and I apply a concealment charm so certain… areas aren't visible."

Lily glanced down at the material, her insides squirming, sure she could use a concealment charm… but… there was just something so wanton about leaving the room without a bra… Petunia would skin her alive if she heard… well she would have back when she cared.

"Fine." Aiza shrugged off her white robe and Lily quickly waved her hands at her,

"No, no, no! Its fine, I'll do it. You go for your party-"

"And leave you and Mary to fight off those little rats. I wouldn't put it past them to try and prank you two to try and impress the older boys… and it's just a stupid party-"

"But your mother-"

"Never mind my mother." She slipped out of the dress fluidly and snapped off her bra, swinging the night dress over her head, the movement so clearly portraying her characteristic decisiveness that Lily knew there was no use trying to talk her out of it. "And maybe when the little snots are asleep I'll sneak over there, the party won't be in full swing till ten at the earliest."

Lily grabbed the girl into a tight embrace. It was amazing to think that when they first met in their first year, Lily was positive that they could never be friends because she was positive Aiza was the most selfish person she ever met. Now five years later and a hundred fights over things so insignificant they were now just forgotten memories, Aiza was sacrificing her own needs for Lily's.

Lily knew why she had gotten all dressed up; Aiza's cousin Lakshmi Jadhev was one of those purist bigots. She didn't go around cursing muggleborns and preaching blood superiority, but she was quite exclusive when it came to the invites for her birthday party. It can't be a coincidence that every pureblood over the age of fourteen was invited, yet somehow not a single muggleborn made the list.

Knowing this Lily knew that Mulciber would be there, and Aiza was probably getting all pretty for him and Lily had to bite her lip to not say anything because Mulciber was vile and Aiza tried so hard to be tough and uncaring, she tried to be less than she was for some unknown reason, stifling her own light by cavorting with that sickening prick.

"We better get down there whilst Mary still has hair on her head. What possessed you to do this, Godric only knows."

Lily didn't respond has her gaze fell on the closed drapes at her side. She walked towards it.

"Lily-" Aiza hissed but she ignored her.

"Erm… Jude… er… Judalia?"

Lily really didn't know what the girl preferred to be called; it was Professor Dumbledore who had called her Jude on the first day of school. He had asked Lily to meet him in his office where he made the introduction. All he had told her was that Jude Devon was a new student and he would appreciate it if Lily helped her get settled in.

He never said anything about her not being able to speak, or choosing not to speak, because surely if she was unable to he would have told Lily.

In the month that Judalia Devon had been here, she had never uttered a single sound.

Not a snore or a sneeze or a sigh.

Her fleeing the Great Hall the other day was the most amount of emotion that Lily had seen on the girl.

Stranger still was the fact that none of the teachers seemed to mind that she never attended classes. Lily knew that she went down for private Potion lessons on some afternoons, but other than that, when Lily told McGonagall that Jude refused to leave the bed on the first day of classes, the transfiguration mistresses just thanked Lily for reporting it, as if it were not odd and against school rules.

"Let's go." Aiza hissed but Lily pushed her hand through the slit in the drapes and drew them open.

Dark eyes flickered to hers and Lily swallowed, she would never admit that the girl unsettled her. Aiza complained about her constantly and Marlene and Mary seemed to forget that she existed but Lily always spoke to the unresponsive girl, hoping for a reply one day.

Maybe Potter was right… maybe she was too nosy…

Jude turned her face up to Lily and she couldn't believe how Black had thought she was a boy, although her features were somewhat drowned out by her paleness and expressionless, her face was very feminine.

"We're having a pajama party downstairs." Lily glanced at the track pants and shirt which seemed to be the girls uniform, "And we'd love it if you come. There'll be cupcakes and chocolates and if you want something a little more savory there'd be pies and my mother sent these quiches…. Anyway, we'd be playing games. Charades!" Lily added excitedly, "I'm sure you'll be great at that!"

Lily laughed, hoping the girl didn't take it as an insult, her expression didn't change as she stared at Lily and Lily swallowed, "So… come when ever-"

"Yeah yeah she gets it." Aiza pulled Lily and the drapes fluttered closed behind her, "What are you doing." She hissed.

"Shhh." Lily hushed, hoping the girl didn't hear Aiza, speaking only when she was out of the dorm, "Thursday was the first time I saw her out of the room Aiza, and considering what she heard I would hate for it to be her last time. Don't you feel the least bit guilty about it?"

She rolled her eyes, "She's the one that was eavesdropping, it's not my fault."Lily huffed and Aiza groaned, "I have no patience for attention seekers anyway!"

Lily stopped at the most ironic sentence she might have ever heard as her tall friend pushed through to the common room, her pink silk nightdress floating about her.

She sighed, carrying on down the steps to what was evidently going to be a long and trying night.

**Thoughts? Like it? I hope you do! **

**Thanks for reading, **

**Kalina**


	8. Our Universe

**Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers. **

**A/N: Thanks to Deeluaa Black, LexieF, TyrialFrost ****and** **ekin4655**** for your amazing reviews on the last chapter. I could not ask for better inspiration :) **

**Chapter 8 **

The wind whispered through the nearby window and prickled up her exposed legs, fluttering at the hemline of her nightdress and she nonchalantly pushed it down, catching the approving stare of the Irish boy who sat across from her.

Aiza winked playfully at the twelve year old and his pale cheeks flushed a violent red as he sank deeper into the mass of blankets that surrounded him.

This corner of the common room was covered with thick mattresses and the ten first years' lay scattered upon it in varying postures of interest, some keen whilst other's were keeled over asleep.

Aiza and Mary were squeezed into an armchair as Lily was standing before them all, gesturing emphatically with her hands and jumping about in silence.

"Jogging!"

"A seizure."

"Running?"

"Epilepsy."

"Riding!"

"Humping. Shagging. Fornicating." The redhead boy spat the last three words in quick succession and the rest of the boys burst into laughter as Lily let the small bit of parchment in her hand flutter to the floor, she looked two seconds away from turning her wand on the boy and showing him just why she was the best in the school in Charms.

"Galloping gargoyles." Lily snapped, stating what she was trying to act out for the last five minutes and a tiny girl with wispy blonde hair thumped a hand to her forehead and moaned, "I was so close!"

Aiza shook her head at the little girl, her gangly twin brother asleep on her shoulder. She was the only one of the four girls that seemed to be paying any attention to Lily's muggle game, charades. Two of the four were steadfastly peering over Lily's shoulder at the armchairs about the fireplace where Sirius Black lounged, scribbling on a length of parchment much too large to be homework. The last of the girls was asleep at Mary and Aiza's feet, a bit of drool soaking the scatter cushion she was using as a pillow.

"Who wants to go next?"Expectant emerald orbs found Aiza's and she glared at her friend in response, she said she'd stay for her pajama party, she said nothing about participating in any activities.

As far as Aiza was concerned her involvement was akin to the portraits that lined this castle…simply aesthetic pleasure. Her mother would be so proud, she thought bitterly.

"Again! Have we not suffered enough!" The boy that spoke was the shortest of the lot of them and one of the only boys that Aiza recognized as he was Samuel Brown's younger brother but seemed a stark contrast to the charming Hufflepuff in their year.

"Well if you're tired of charades, we can play something else. I've got a whole list-"

"I think **we** should choose the next game."

The familiar sound of the portrait swinging open caught Aiza's attention, and she stared at the entrance, her pulse speeding up slightly, it quickly returned to normal when she saw that it was just Frank Longbottom and Alice Burke, holding hands and laughing together, staring into each other's eyes like they were the sole occupants of this universe.

It was so cute it was nauseating.

"Fine, what do you want to play?" Lily's voice was high pitched from having to restrain her annoyance and Aiza sighed, jostling Mary slightly as she dozed on her shoulder.

It must be at least ten now, she should go upstairs and change if she wants to make it for Lucky's party.

Her gaze fell on the three boys at the fireplace. Peter was doing homework next to Black, while James just sat there, staring into the flames in contemplation.

She wondered why Black and James didn't go for Lucky's party. She was pretty sure Black had hooked up with Isabella McDougal at the last one, and she saw Daisy Hookum leave about an hour ago, tossing Black an expectant stare but he continued scribbling away, obliviously uninterested.

"Strip snap!"

"Spin the bottle."

Lily began a rant in response to the boys' suggestions but Aiza blocked it out as she heard the door opening, it wasn't the entrance though, just the boy's dormitories and Dean Logan walked out, passing an amused glance at their corner of the room and slapping Potter on the arm in greeting and making his way to the portrait hole.

"Fine. Let's just take a break and decide later. Now you may have some cupcakes." The boys jumped up, jostling those who dozed off, darting for the pile of baked goods on the table which Lily had forbade them from touching until she deemed that they had sufficiently participated in the pajama party.

The first year girls glanced at each other and rolled their eyes as if to say _boys_ , dusting themselves and walking towards the table with some modicum of dignity.

"I'm never having children." Lily spat, plopping into the armchair opposite Aiza.

"Black would be disappointed, I heard his angling for godfather for all their children." Aiza gestured to the boys at the fire, highly aware that one extremely significant part of the 'their' was not present at the moment.

"And in what universe is Sirius Black my child's godfather! I might as well give the child to a pack of wolves."

Aiza smirked at her friend, "I love how you're so quick to deny Black god-fatherhood, but not the implication that James Potter would be the father."

Lily blanched, knowing that she was caught out and then her lips quirked as her eyes gleamed in mischievousness, "Who says I have to marry Potter. I could marry Remus, or Peter."

"And I would humbly oblige." Aiza started, stiffening at the voice she had been trying to single out the whole night, "Though I am positive you will do much better than myself, Lily. And I'd hate to make you a young widow considering James would likely kill me once he found out."

Aiza didn't have to look to see that he was standing at the side of her armchair; she could smell the musky scent that was him and feel his appearance at her side in the prickle that traversed her spine, a trademark to his presence.

"You're looking handsome Remus, special occasion?"

Aiza had to clench her neck to refrain from glancing at him, positive that Lily was now taunting her into looking at him considering she and the Gryffindor prefect hadn't spoken since Thursday.

Remus had been avoiding her and Aiza was much too proud to ask why.

"Not really, heading down to Lakshmi Jadhev's party, didn't want to look a complete outcast." He laughed and the sound subconsciously relaxed her as she contemplated his words.

Heading down? Her initial thought at his arrival was that he had returned from the party, and there would be no use attending the event now.

After she found out that he made the guest list because that little friend of his was friends with Lucky, Aiza had spent the whole afternoon ensuring that Remus Lupin would have no choice but to talk to her. She spent more time than she cared to admit choosing a dress and applying her make-up and she actually changed her hairstyle three times and would have probably done a fourth if Lily hadn't come in.

Lily. Godric, Aiza would never had believed that she would change her plans for anybody, she glanced at the girl as she continued talking to Remus, her almond shaped, sparkling green eyes taking in his words with interest.

Aiza had envied Lily for her brightness, she was nothing but vivid color, eye catching… attention stealing she used to think. Aiza had a small crush on James when they were children, an age ago, their parents were friends and therefore she was quite insulted that he had fallen for Lily at first sight, why not her? What was better about the redhead?

Everything, Aiza soon learnt. She was smart, passionate and enthusiastic. Godric, so enthusiastic, only Lily would arrange for a pajama party to get the first years' closer… yet the envy she thought was normal to feel towards a girl that was obviously better than her never came, as somewhere along the way, Lily's excitement for life became contagious. They didn't grow up in the same world, a world where it was common to have bountiful friends yet be completely friendless.

To smile at your face and glare at your back.

Lily was vivid colour… and somehow she managed to flow onto the interchangeable grey's that was Aiza's life.

"That essay McGonagall set sure was something; I only just got it done."

Aiza's lips quirked, only Remus would make sure all his homework was done before going out.

Before Lily could respond in agreement a rasping sound caught their attention and Lily jumped to her feet and Aiza took the chance to glance up at Remus who also turned to the noise.

He had cleaned up... it was hard to tell with Remus because he was always clean shaven, she'd never even seen him with the slightest bit of stubble, his sandy hair so neat that Aiza wanted to just ruffle it up, ruffle him up really, he was always so stiff and polite.

Lily's comment was due to the bottle green sweater he wore that Aiza knew had been a gift from Mrs. Potter for his last birthday, and it made his eyes sparkle a definable jade hue rather than its usual brownish-green. He wore a familiar black robe, something Aiza had seen him use often which fit him snuggly at the shoulders, stressing against his tapered form.

She also noticed that he's usual color had returned, he had looked pale the last few days, something she related to stress over his mother who was sickly. He'd often leave school to visit home, his most recent departure a week back.

"Aiza!" Her attention snapped as his green eyes met hers, his voice filled with concern, "Aiza, Lily's talking to you!"

"Of course she is." She drawled unfazed, it was reflex reaction to her. She turned to the redhead who was currently occupied with banging on the back of a choking boy, the sound of gagging suddenly invading Aiza's attention.

She stood, taking in the doubled over first years with a frown… it looked like they were poisoned?

She stepped back from the rasping girl in front of her as Mary startled awake. "What's going on?"

"Don't! Don't touch the cupcakes! Stop eating it!" Lily was aiming her wand at the redhead boy who had been nothing but crude the whole night, trying to cease his choking with a spell.

Suddenly and eerily it all went quiet, a heartbeat of silence that echoed through the room.

And then a noise that made Aiza cringe resounded about the room and she backed into Remus.

Crying.

Loud, wailing, blubbering sounds amidst a popping sound that Aiza usually associated with her father's apparition home.

She felt thumping at her bare legs and she scuttled behind Remus, who was yet to react to the situation that seemed to have descended upon them.

"Oh Godric!" Lily snapped, stepping away from what was once a twelve year old boy, but now was a baby with a crop of ginger hair. She glanced up, completely baffled as a blonde baby crawled towards her, screaming his ears off just as Aiza felt sticky slobber at her thigh.

"Mama?"

"No!" Aiza squealed, clutching Remus' arm as the little wispy blonde girl stared up at her expectantly.

"Potter! Potter! You did this! You spiked my cupcakes with age potion!" Lily turned to the boys at the fireplace who were all grinning in ill-disguised glee, Aiza glanced up at Remus who was looking down at her for the first time in days, his eyes brimming with amusement and she narrowed her eyes at him.

He wouldn't!

He didn't!

"He can't have Lily, we never left them out of our sight!" Mary squealed, a black haired baby in her arm who was swallowed by the shirt he had been wearing, his pants were a puddle on the floor beneath them. He was the only one of the boys that were not wailing, staring down at Mary with black eyed interest.

"Mama-"

"I told you, no!" Aiza's voice was high pitched in fright, that blonde girl just wouldn't leave her alone, her slobbery hands clutching at her night dress as she chased her around Remus.

"See Evans, your accusations… they wound me. If I were you, I would worry about containing the situation, lest McGonagall hears and comes up, she won't be impressed that you've got her firsties turned into babies."

"She'd understand when I tell her it was YOUR doing!" Lily was holding a baby at arm's length, fretting about which way to carry him as she jostled the little creature in her arms.

"Probably." Potter shrugged, "Though it would be a sad excuse to explain away a death, don't you think?" Lily stared blankly at the black haired boy and he smirked, "Brown's heading towards the fire." Aiza watched as the baby crawled to the fireplace, absentmindedly evading capture from the persistent girl who was steadfastly pursuing her.

Lily set the one she had down on the rug and darted for the other baby, catching him about a foot away from the flames which flickered off his blue eyes, he was transfixed to silence by the radiance and warmth before him.

"Your bum is big!" Aiza jumped as she felt tiny hands pat her silk covered bottom like a drum and she turned, a green eyed girl laughing up at her.

"Well your teeth are crooked!" She retorted, straightening up, her words having absolutely no effect on the child… Her bum was not big.

"Look, Aiza, you watch over the girls, for some reason they haven't turned into complete babies-"

"What! No!" Aiza screamed, running after Lily as she began wrestling a chess piece out of one of the baby's chubby little fingers.

"Here. This should keep them busy, take them to that corner!" Mary pushed a box into Aiza, half the contents falling onto the floor as she ran after two babies that were trying to eat Burke's cat.

"Are you my new mummy?" Aiza looked down at a quiet black haired girl, Lily was right, the girls weren't babies, they looked to be around four years old, chubby faces, their pajama tops hanging onto them like dresses.

"No…I'm your…"

"Sitter." Aiza glanced down at Remus as he kneeled to be eye level with the child, pulling her fat little finger away from her mouth and holding her hand, "She's looking after you guys for a while. Is that okay?"

The girl nodded and Aiza's discomfort ebbed away slowly at Remus' voice which was as gentle as it was charming.

"Oooh. I want to paint your nails!" Aiza pulled her hands away from the grasping child as she heard a familiar chuckle.

It was of course Remus, who seemed to have snapped out of his older brother persona and now was gazing at her with absolute amusement on his face.

He bowed down extravagantly, his bright eyes never breaking contact and a grin so roguish on his face Aiza had to fight to keep her face straight, "Enjoy."

He turned to walk away but stopped as one of the girls clung to his legs, "No! You can't go, you have to get a manticore too!"

"A what?"

"A blue one to match your jumper." The raven haired girl tugged at his hand and it was Aiza's turn to smirk as Remus had no choice but to let the child drag him to the armchair.

Aiza squirmed as she felt something wet at her calf, "Did you just lick me!"

It was the same child that was using her derriere as bongo drums before, her little head tilted in contemplation, "You look like chocolate, but you don't taste like chocolate."

Before Aiza could even contemplating responding to that she was shoved forward, "Sit!"

The blonde moaned, pushing Aiza by the butt to the space next to Remus… if you could even call it a space.

Aiza and Mary fit snuggly in the armchair, she and Remus on the other hand… half her left thigh was on his black slacks, her night dress hitching up to a level that even she thought was erring towards indecent. She looked up, expecting to see him staring down at their thighs like she had been but instead his eyes were steadily on the little girl who was rummaging in the box of nail polish that Mary had given them moments ago.

A spittle of anger zinged through her, it was one thing to not talk to her, but it was quite something else to be unfazed in a situation that would have riled up any other hot blooded male.

Would he have even noticed her tonight?

Godric, Aiza had never had to have a thought such as that before. Everybody noticed her. Everybody leered at her with envy or appreciation.

Except Remus Lupin.

"Pink or purple." The blonde held out a shade of red and blue, she had settled at Aiza's feet, next to the sleeping first year that was snoring slightly. She was the only one of them that hadn't changed, considering she was asleep and therefore didn't eat any of the cupcakes.

Aiza glanced about the room. Lily had managed to group all the babies in a circular sort of play pen which she transfigured elaborately from an armchair near the fireplace and Mary was giving them bottles of milk from Godric knows where, whilst James, Black and Peter watched with glee in the background.

"It wouldn't last long." Remus looked to the little girl at his feet whose black hair was half in the box of nail polish but Aiza knew his words were for her, "It should wear off in an hour or so."

"You need to take off your shoes if I'm going to give you a pedigree!" The blonde wrestled off Aiza's bedroom slippers.

Aiza swallowed, hoping that he didn't feel her do it at their closeness. He had his right arm across the back of the armchair to allow more room and Aiza was fit into the hollow underneath.

It was almost as if they were cuddling.

Unsettled by the heat that seemed to bubble within her, Aiza cleared her throat, "I thought it was suspicious that those two didn't go for Lucky's party. I suppose you helped concoct this plan?"

"No, but I did push them towards this option, the other options they had planned were much too… volatile."

Aiza turned and stared at the boy, aware that her elbow was cushioned by his stomach, "Opposed to turning a bunch of first years into bumbling idiots?"

"Hey!" The brunette who licked Aiza before stated with a funny amount of sass for her age. She was currently mixing green and orange nail polish on a scrap of parchment that Lily used for charade titles. "You can't say the _'I'_ word or your mummy will scold."

She scoffed, "My mummy would scold me _I_ word or no _I_ word." She glanced at her blonde pedicurist, "And would you try and paint on my nail and not my skin, didn't you learn to color within the lines?"

"I think she's doing a great job considering the talons she has to work with." Remus chuckled and Aiza turned back to him, the action pushing her shoulder into his chest and she physically felt the sound die off within him.

"Talons? You're one to talk." The jibe had no basis in fact as she looked down at his hands. It was by no means well manicured, but it was neat. Trimmed nails on large hands lined and slightly calloused within, a man's hand. So different from the kind of hands Aiza was used to, slight and soft and manicured like a girl's… In contrast these hands would make your skin prickle when they brushed against you… could cup your whole cheek in just the palm… could probably pin you up-

"Is she your girlfriend?" The brunette asked as she stared in wonder at the new color she seemed to have created.

"Don't be a poop. I'm doing his manticore, I'm his girlfriend. We're going to be married." The black haired girl beamed up at Remus as she painted his whole fore finger with electric blue nail polish, he smiled at her affectionately and Aiza squirmed in her seat.

"But do you like chocolate?" The brunette obviously was full of questions.

"Erm," Remus chuckled, "I do."

"Don't lick her then, she may look it, but she doesn't taste like chocolate." She leant forward to lick at the nail polish and Aiza snapped the parchment away from her.

"Must you try and eat everything you get your hands on! You'll end up fat one day."

"Fat like you." She giggled and Aiza glared.

"She has a big bum." Remus' manicurist chuckled up at him and Aiza felt like kicking the girl but took a deep breath instead. "Don't you think so?"

"Of course. Massive." Remus added and Aiza glared at him.

"I suppose you like that in a girl considering-"

"Oh Aiza, don't do that. Don't pick on Evelyn, you're better than that."

It was like being hit with a stunner, a stunner that froze you from the outside and burned you from the inside as his words sunk in.

Remus Lupin would forever be an exception because he was probably the only boy who said that she was better than anything… and truly believed it.

"Jasmine!" Aiza turned away from his penetrating stare and gazed at the girl unfocused, "I said I need your other leg."

"My name is Aiza, not Jasmine." Her tone lacked its usual ire due to the girl's large blue eyes which were too big for her pudgy little face… why did they have to so damn cute?

"Nope." She stated as her little tongue stuck out as she concentrated on dipping the tiny brush into the bottle, "You're Jasmine, and he's Aladdin, and that's your flying carpet." She gestured careless at the scarlet rug, specks of purple nail polish flicking about at the motion.

"Are you sure James didn't add firewhiskey to his age potion."

"Actually… I made the potion. James and Sirius are a little careless at potions and I thought if they were going to do this I might as well have arranged for everyone's safety. That's why the girls didn't become babies, the concentration was quite dilute and it would seem the boys gobbled too many… hence."

He gestured at the transfigured playpen and Aiza was surprised to see James making a funny face to entertain two babies as Lily walked towards the girl's dorm, glancing back nervously as if regretting her decision to leave the children in his care. Peter and Mary had another two, whilst the last two who were wide awake due to Sirius tossing a scrunched up ball of parchment which they crawled after and returned, just for the act to be repeated.

Remus turned back to Aiza, smiling as he let the child have his other hand, "And she's talking about a muggle fairy tale, Aladdin… where a measly street urchin falls in love with a princess well out of his reach and league."

"And?" His hand has slipped from the top of the armchair and Aiza tried to not react to the warm limb at her back.

Remus laughed but there was something bitter about it, un-Remus like, "Well, it's a fairy tale Aiza. Aladdin and Jasmine lived happily ever after… the end."

"You don't like that?" She felt his fingers graze her right elbow as they settled on the armrest.

"No, I loved it as a child. My mother read it to me often."

"And now?" Her voice was a whisper for some unknown reason, just audible to him.

The smile remained upon his face but he was anything but smiling, his eyes darkening with the gleam of secrets that pulled Aiza in, "And now I know why fairy tales are named such."

It was the slightest, most fleeting of gentle touches that Aiza felt at her waist, and for one infinite moment Remus had his arm around her, staring down at her with eyes so clear she could see her reflection in them, gazing up at him was a complete stranger, a slight, innocent girl that yearned for him with every pore of her being.

Sole occupants of this universe…

And with an ear piercing scream the moment shattered and every dark secret faded back into his eyes as he started, jumping to his feet as Aiza clambered after him just as James Potter dashed to the girls' dormitory and the source of the sound, a single word gutturally ripped from his throat.

"Evans!"

**As always, reviews are greatly appreciated, I'd love to know what you think of Aiza now that you know a little bit more about her. **

**Thank you for reading, **

**Kalina**


	9. Forgiveness

**Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers. **

**Chapter Nine**

Sirius tossed the balled up parchment into the transfigured play pen and watched as his baby and James' baby rushed after it, their makeshift napkins shaking amusingly as they raced for the improvised ball.

He stifled his laughter though, keeping a grin at bay, in the hopes of appearing unimpressed and surly, a feat he seemed to dismally fail at due to the 'I-told-you-so' smug expression his best friend was throwing at him.

No… he most definitely did not tell him so! This was going against the natural order of pranking, the prankers do not assist the prankees in cleaning up the mess, especially when said prankers went through such degrees to sabotage the prankees.

He glanced at Peter who was busy trying to coax a baby into sucking the bottle of milk that Evans had charmed into existence; Godric knows where the redhead summoned it from. It was thanks to Peter that this whole thing was possible; Evans and Mary hadn't notice the rat that slipped the Age Potion into their cake batter down in the kitchens earlier on, he watched as his small friend glanced to the corner of the room, frowning slightly at the sight that greeted him.

In true retrospect, it was Moony's doing, considering he had concocted the potion for them. Sirius followed Peter's gaze over to his sandy haired friend and raised a brow in pleasant surprise.

Remus and Shafiq were cozying up into a single armchair, the little girls surrounding them invisible as they seemed to be a few heartbeats away from kissing.

Sirius turned away, knowing how private Moony could be and knowing himself well enough that he could never restrain from the teasing that would result if he witnessed his best friend and Shafiq finally sealing the deal.

James laughed as Evans' baby wrestled the ball out of the other babies' hands; it was slightly disconcerting that the child looked like it might be her actual baby too, considering Nathaniel Fairbrother's red hair was akin to her own.

"Thank Godric she isn't here, you know how competitive she is, she might just gloss over the fact that we're playing fetch with the babies, to celebrate her victory."

James looked eagerly at the door that the girl in question had disappeared through mere moments ago. Nate had spat up on her shirt, or whatever it is you call that green monstrosity Evans wore to sleep, and she thankfully went to change considering the siphoning charm never managed to get rid of the smell of baby burp.

Sirius rolled his eyes at his best friend; they weren't supposed to play anything with the children! They were supposed to sit back and watch the chaos explode, knowing Evans and the girls would never be able to prove it was them and have to endure the hours of torture, of changing diapers and soothing crabby crying and all those other horrid stuff.

Sirius' eyes lit up though when it landed on the dark brown curls of his pale skinned baby, Finbar Cannavan, who plucked up the scrunched up ball while the other two babies argued in unintelligible gurgles and hobbled over to him.

"Come on boy! Come on!" Sirius coaxed to the shuffling creature with his arms spread open and he grinned as Fin placed the bit of parchment in his hand and he threw the baby up into his arms, "That's a good boy! I can't wait for Evans to get back down so she realizes that her victory was usurped! And by none other than he who tried fitting his head into her shirt five minutes ago."

James glowered, remembering that Canavan was indeed trying to crawl into Evans shirt, Sirius was half sure that was what convinced him to help the redhead, that and the fact that James was a sucker for a damsel in distress. Which made Sirius all the more baffled at the fact that James claimed to be in love with the most headstrong and independent girl in the school.

"Your baby looks older than my baby, we should have weighed them in to make sure things are fair."

"It's not my fault your babies are greedy little mongrels." Sirius smirked, knowing that the intensity of the age potion was directly proportionate to the amount consumed, hence some babies like Peter's and Mary's were blubbering little things, whilst James, Evans and his could actually crawl and hobble around, it's hard to consider the drunken tottering they did walking.

James opened his mouth in protest as Sirius placed Finbar back down in the play pen with a ruffle of his hair, he really was adorable.

Sirius never interacted with babies much, all of his cousins were close to his age and Reg was only a year younger than him, but he knew as clear as veritaserum that he wanted a ton of babies when he was older, purebloods never had many children due to having to split the inheritance, as it is families like the Malfoy's came from a long line of only children.

Personally Sirius hoped the news of his tenth baby would one day give his mother a heart attack.

He couldn't wait.

"It's not their fault Evans is such a good baker." James smiled wistfully and Sirius shook his head, the boy could really forgive Evans anything, even that fight they had on Thursday.

Suddenly the smile dropped from James visage and he froze as if he was doused with a bucket of white paint as the blood rushed from his face and Sirius' ears pricked as he registered the scream from above.

"Evans!"

James had barely got the word out as he spun around and in that one fleeting moment where his face was visible, Sirius believed for the first time in six years… that his best friend truly was in love with Lily Evans.

He snapped out of his shock with the sound of a thud and he hastened after James, instead of barging into the Girls' dorm stairs, Sirius fell to the floor next to the book shelf near the door and pulled out the broom they hid underneath it.

By the time he got onto the staircase, James was sprawled at the foot, obviously forgetting the curse on the stairs but he was on his feet and behind Sirius in a second as they both flew up to the dormitories.

They landed and ascended to the second floor stairs just as a group of second years hovered in the corridor, staring fearfully at the closed wooden door before them, one of the braver ones headed up the front, a determined point to her chin, her black hair cloaking her stiff neck as she walked towards the entrance to the Sixth year dorms.

"No." Sirius tossed the broom aside as he ran in front of the girls, "Get back into your dorm and stay there. Go." He spoke calmly to the girl, a feat he was unaware he could accomplish as his heart was beating erratically as he felt Prongs fling the door open behind him.

The girl retreated and Sirius spun around and surged through the open door, the first of the mysteries was this very door never opened for his touch, or James. It opened for none but its occupants, the girls always placed a charm that kept intruders out of their room after the Dungbomb Debacle of '73. Evans had hexed him and James so badly they couldn't sit for days after that particular incident.

His musings were forgotten as his eyes were greeted by a gruesome sight and he ran forward as James helped Evans off the floor, blood mingling in her fiery locks, "I'm okay, I just bumped my head. Jude-"

Evans stepped forward but James halted her with a firm grip as Sirius glanced at the bedside table at their side, the slight gleam of blood upon the corner… she more than just bumped her head, and despite the stubborn tilt to her chin, her pale cheeks was washed with stray tears of pain.

"Will you stop struggling and let me heal you." James snapped as Evans kept pushing him away.

"I'm fine. Please, Potter. Please just-" She weakly pushed at his hands as her eyes flickered to the bathroom door and Sirius decisively turned towards it.

"No, Black-"

Sirius already had the door open and stilled momentarily with his fingers on the handle.

A memory of a brunette girl lying at the feet of a dark haired lunatic came to his mind. Of cruel laughter. Of rain soaked cloaks. Of a still and unmoving body that unsettled him. For a moment all he could see was the shallow breathing and dark hair spread over a basement floor, a room dancing with the dynamic colors of a duel.

And then he was on his knees and back in the present, next to the tiny girl, her black eyes unnaturally dark in the melting ice that was her face, white and sweaty and cold, a wheezy gravelly breath breaking free from her parted lips as he pulled her up, her back to his chest as he glanced down at her.

He could see it now, ironically at what looked like her worst moment, the feminine texture to her face, the cheekbones and chin and softness as her cheek slumped against his chest, her short brown locks mashed against his heart as the wheezing sound grew within her and Sirius quickly snuck his hand under her legs and carried her back into the dorm. Amidst all the mystery of her present condition Sirius was extremely unsettled by the sheer weightlessness of the girl in his arms, the way his whole hand seemed to span the breadth of her back and her shoulder jutted into his chest.

"Jude!" Lily ran forward as Sirius placed the girl carefully down on the nearest bed, just as Aiza and Remus ran into the room.

"What happened? Godric! LILY!" Aiza ran to her friend who held a hand up in appeasement.

"Its old blood, Potter's healed me." The redhead wasted no more time with her dark haired friend and rushed to the bedside, "I don't know what happened, I just walked into the bathroom and… I was flung out…" She pushed at Sirius so she could move closer to Judalia Devon but Sirius was surprised by his own steadfastness, he somehow felt responsible for the delicate creature and remained by her side.

"Black. Move." Evans spat but Sirius didn't relent, instead he pulled off his charcoal grey sweater as Devon's teeth begun chattering at an incredible rate and he shuddered at the scorch that was her skin.

"No, don't." Evans voice wasn't as sharp as before therefore all the more appeasable for instructions to be heeded. "I think she has a fever, she can't be covered up!"

"Evans, she looks like she's freezing-" Sirius frowned, recalling Jenny's clammy skin as he rushed her through the rain, bundled up in his coat…

"I found this." Remus walked out of the bathroom with a plain white shirt in his hands, there was a visible splash of violet across the front which he sniffed at. "It smells oddly familiar."

"Maybe she was drinking something and spilled it." Aiza stood nearest to the door, her face holding no interest to an outsider's eye but Sirius could see the rigidity in her neck and the stern set of her lips. She was far from unconcerned.

"The pattern on the shirt is more of a splash than a spill." James added, "Look, it looks like something was flung at her."

"She was changing her shirt when I walked in, I thought she reacted because of that, she's very private, she always changes in the bathroom… but then… I saw…" Evans frowned and leaned forward as the fine hair on the back of Sirius' neck prickled at the grating sound that ascended from Devon's throat, her breathing was getting shallow and his sweater lay limp in his hand.

Evans touched the hem of the girl's shirt tentatively and Sirius saw the tiny girls finger twitch in discomfort but she evidently didn't have the energy to stop the redhead.

Her green eyes widened as she gasped at the purple skin that stood coarse beneath the white cotton and Evans let the shirt flutter back down, but the unnatural skin was vivid enough to see through the thin material and it matched the spatter pattern upon the discarded shirt.

"Somebody did this." Evans' voice seemed to seep through her flaring nostrils, "They attacked her, they threw this-"

"No. Don't touch it." James grabbed the shirt from her reaching fingers, carefully holding it by the white hem, "It could be poisonous."

"Poisonous?" Sirius turned back to the girl, to her wheezing breath and feverish face and her lips which darkened in a purplish bruise.

"How would someone have gotten into the dorm, you girls always lock it." Remus muttered, his brown eyebrows furrowed as he tried to piece the puzzle together, "Unless you didn't because Devon was in here-"

"It opens from the inside so even when Jude is in here we still lock it." Evans bright eyes were riddled with discomforting thoughts, "You did lock it, right Aiza?"

"Of course." Aiza nodded, not the least bit defensive, her bare shoulders were high as she folded her arms before her, her light brown eyes sharp and focused on Devon.

"Are you sure?" Remus added and suddenly the girl spun on him.

"It's a simple spell, I'm not incompetent-"

"I never said you were, I was just-"

"You think I left the door open. You think this is MY fault-"

"What, no!" Remus gasped, agog at the drastic change in Shafiq's demeanor. The girl was evidently trying and failing to keep her cool, and the only person capable of penetrating that armor was Remus.

"Stop it! The two of you." Evans straightened and backed away from the bed, flinching into action at the hacking cough that suddenly riddled Devon, "I have to go and get Madam Pomfrey." She spun around but Shafiq surged ahead.

"No, Lily! You can't! If you get Madam Pomfrey she'll get McGonagall!" The girl's long tan legs stood sentinels at the exit, "If you get McGonagall she'll find out about the first years!"

"Who cares!" Evans snapped, "Jude might be poisoned Aiza, this is more important-"

"If McGonagall finds out they'll get in serious trouble! They'll get expelled Lily. Age Potions are illegal to brew without a license!"

"Then they deserve it!" Her eyes were cold, glittering emeralds that snapped to James and Sirius, "They knew exactly what they were doing and they should be held responsible!"

"Evans is right." Sirius muttered, taking a step back from the girl, the sound of her breath like a ghost to his ears, "Go get Madam Pomfrey, I'll take the blame."

"No." Remus stepped forward, "I brewed the potion-"

"Only because you knew we'd muck it up. Remus, go, go back to the dorm." James muttered, running a hand through his jet black strands, "Take Peter with-"

"No!" Shafiq snapped, "You can't lie. They'll do a full investigation and they'll find out it was Remus-"

"Dumbledore won't expel him-"

"He won't have a choice, Lily. He didn't use it on himself, it was used on others! Lily if you tell McGonagall-"

"Evans, too much time is wasted already, just go get Pomfrey, we'll deal with whatever happens after, just get Pomfrey." James pushed his glasses right up the ridge of his nose in agitation.

There was a rasping sound that pulled their attention and Devon's torso bent away from the bed as she writhed in pain, Evans ran forward and just then the tiny girl gripped her fingers about her wrist and profusely shook her head in the negative.

"What, what is it Jude?"

The girl repeated the action.

"I think she doesn't want you tell McGonagall." Aiza added and the girl, rasping breathing yet silent of words nodded in the positive. The redhead stepped back.

"Jude…"

"I'm going to get Madam Pomfrey-"

"No! Remus!" Shafiq grabbed at Remus' shirt as he tried to dash past her. "The girl communicates for the very first time since she's been here and you're going to deny her wishes!"

Lilting pink lips against pale cheeks brimmed in Sirius' memory and he recalled the smile Devon had offered him weeks ago, something he never told anybody about because he hadn't given it that much thought… that was her first time communicating with anybody… with him… but somehow he remained silent and didn't correct Aiza…

"She's not exactly in any position to make such demands Aiza." Remus pushed forward, ever ready for self sacrifice but Shafiq was relentless in her preventing his departure.

"Maybe we can take her to the Hospital Wing." James massaged the back of his neck as he thought aloud, "That way McGonagall need never find out about the first years, she'll never have to come up here."

"They will still launch an investigation into the matter, she isn't sick of her own accord." Shafiq's body was firm against Remus, and probably the only thing that kept him in the room, "And any possible witnesses would be questioned, the first years regressing into infants is bound to come up and McGonagall would not let that slide. She'll find out about the Age Potion-"

"So be it." Remus stated and pushed forward once more.

"Wait." Evans stepped back from the bed, her eyes wide and unfocused and her bottom lip sinking under her teeth in thought, "Potter. Give me the shirt."

"Evans-"

"The shirt." She held her hand out and James slowly and carefully placed the shirt into her dainty fingers, "Wait here with her, we'll be back soon. Aiza." She nodded to the taller girl as she swept out of the room.

"Aiza-"

"Please." Her slender fingers spread across Remus' chest and Sirius looked away, somehow more uncomfortable at observing this tender moment than the almost kiss from moments ago.

He recognized his friend's deep sigh and the sound of retreating footsteps and turned back to the tiny girl, her eyes had sunk shut and he could see the little pattern of veins over the thin flesh.

He touched his fingers to her wrist, not knowing how to check for a pulse but trying nevertheless and his heart fluttered slightly as he felt fingers about his own hand, a better sign of life from the girl than the beating of her heart and he lowered into the seat beside her bed and began his watching and waiting.

* * *

"Well, well, well… I can more than forgive you for being late, love, if this is my gift of reconciliation…"

Mulciber's electric blue eyes sent a spike of revulsion up Lily's spine as they leered over her, her nostrils flared as the cool wall of the dungeons calmed her down, preventing her from clawing the revolting boys eyes out.

Aiza snapped her fingers in front of the boy, snapping his attention back to her; he was in black dress robes and Aiza had just retrieved him from Lakshmi Jadhev's party, "Garrick, downstairs. Now."

He scoffed, a smirk lilting his lips as he stepped forward. Aiza didn't flinch or move as the boy leaned against her and Lily swallowed back a protest, even though her tall friend looked unfazed there was a deadened look in her eyes that made Lily want to rush in front of her and protect her, "I don't recall discussing a role reversal… since when did you give the orders Miss Shafiq."

"Since you're too mind-numbingly dumb for independent thought."

Lily's brows rose at the retort and her fingers gripped her wand in her pocket but Mulciber only laughed in response, his fingers tilting Aiza's chin up as he smirked down at her, "Save the dirty talk for the bed princess, that little number you're wearing has me so excited that those words might just have me undone…"

"Garrick." Aiza stated without an inflection of emotion and the boy's smirk grew as he stepped back.

"As you wish Miss Shafiq. But do remember, all requests come with repercussions… and such lovely repercussions they will be." His laugh echoed eerily across the corridor as he turned towards the blank wall behind him, muttered the password and disappeared beyond.

Lily's insides squirmed in discomfort and guilt, she never wanted to put Aiza in this situation, asking the likes of Mulciber for assistance. But Lily knew no other way that would efficiently achieve her end, "I'm so sor-"

"Don't." Aiza leaned against the wall, her skin glowing beautifully beneath the lamp light and Lily crossed her hands about herself. She hated the fact that she made her friend ask a favor of the dreadful boy but she hardly felt like she had much of a choice. "I'm not."

"Huh?" Lily frowned at her friend.

"Sorry. I'm not sorry." Aiza shrugged, "What use is my friendship with Garrick if not for such causes."

Lily's brows rose in doubt, "Friendship?"

"Lily!" Sev rushed through the space that emerged in the wall, thankfully alone, he was dressed in a plain white shirt and a pair of grey slacks that were creased in testament to his haste. Severus was always very particular about his clothing, ever since he had the privilege to be so, "What's the matter. Are you okay?"

His dark eyes searched into her with concern and Lily had to take a deep breath to bash away the distressed tears, "I'm sorry for the hour Sev, but I am in need of your help."

"Anything Lily, are you okay? What is it?" He had repeated the question but Lily did not answer. She never lied to Severus, never could, and she could not tell him how it hurt to do this. To go against her instincts and not follow protocol. Not inform McGonagall, not seek Madam Pomfrey's help…

Instead Lily held out the shirt carefully, "Do you know what this is. The liquid… I think it's a potion, it smells familiar but I can't recall exactly what."

Sev took the white fabric to his nose carefully and with just a breath his eyebrows crinkled, "Fluxweed… where did you get this?"

Well that made sense why Remus found the scent familiar, fluxweed bloomed at the full moon, its scent particularly intense at the time, he must have come across it… in his other form.

Other form…

"Isn't fluxweed-"

"In polyjuice, yes, but this is not polyjuice, but it is an alteration potion… where did you get this Lily."

"What kind of alteration?"

Severus' cheeks tinged a slight pink as he straightened up, "Physical alterations… of areas… private in nature. I hope you did not touch this."

"No, but what happens if it were to come into contact with the skin?"

"If it's the potion I think it is, it's usual intention would be achieved via oral ingestion but if it were exposed to the skin the ratios of knotgrass and fluxweed can result in a severe allergic reaction-"

"But it's not poisonous?"

Severus frowned, "It depends on the person in question, as you know immunity is different amongst different people, Lily. Are you okay?"

Lily sunk her teeth into her bottom lip in thought and fidgeted with her fingers, "Sev… could you… perhaps… do you have…" When did it become so hard to ask favors of him? It was just Sev.

"I have a paste, butterbur infusion." He didn't wait for her request, his dark brows fusing in thought, "I brewed it for practice sometime ago, strong antihistamine properties, it might work… it depends on the level of the reaction and the person…"

"Anything, please."

He nodded, glancing at Aiza for the first time as he turned for the dungeons, the slight softness in his features immediately ironed out as he noted her presence.

Lily hastened forward and latched onto his elbow momentarily, "Thank you, so much."

"What are friends for?" He smiled, a fleeting and familiar smile that took Lily back to their sanctuary, their park, to a little boy who told her a fairy tale about witches and wizards and far away castles.

Aiza scoffed as Sev walked back into the Slytherin common room and the noise snapped Lily out of her reverie, "What?"

"What are _friends _for? Snape is as much a friend to you as Garrick is to me, Lily."

Lily straightened her back and stared at her friend who had the uncomfortable nature of spitting out truths like she was merely commenting on the weather, "Perhaps I have misjudged Mulciber then."

Her brown orbs hardened as she glanced at the now blank stretch of wall, "No. You haven't… not in the slightest."

* * *

"Lily!" Mary greeted them at the entrance to the fat lady, her fingers interlinking and separating as she anxiously awaited the arrival of her dorm mates, "The potion finally wore off and the first years are back to themselves, Peter's taken the boys to their dorms and I've already got the girls settled in."

She barely got a sign of appreciation let alone approval from the pair of girls who sped past the common room and she hastened to catch up, bashing away her disappointment as she remembered the reason for their haste, "I've been up to check on Jude."

The girls thundered up the steps, Aiza with her long legs heading the front whilst Mary struggled at the back and Lily turned to her momentarily, "Has her condition worsened?"

Mary opened her mouth to answer but a deep wheeze emitted instead, they were walking much too fast, instead of waiting for an answer Lily continued to their dorm and Mary followed after.

"Evans!" Sirius gasped in relief as they entered their dorm and Mary's heart gave a great pang. She had been confused when she walked into the dorm to find Sirius with his hand in Jude's as she lay unmoving on her bed, even more so was the gentle look of concern in his dark grey orbs.

He, Potter and Remus surrounded the four-poster in varying postures, Potter leaning against a bed post, Remus hunched at the end of the bed and Sirius hovering at Jude's side in that same confusing, protective stance. Marlene, who had arrived a few minutes ago, had emerged from the bathroom with a cool compress in her hand.

Lily halted at the bed, her large green orbs transfixed on the pale girl before her, "You have to leave-"

"No-" Mary sucked in a breath at the protestation in Sirius' voice.

"GO!" Lily snapped, "I'm not undressing her in front of you lot and I have to apply this paste and Godric you better hope it works or I'm taking her straight to Madam Pomfrey and I don't care who get's expelled or what Jude requests."

Remus ducked his head down, the self hatred evident in the forest green of his eyes as he made his way out of the dorm in quick strides, it was obvious he blamed himself for this. Mary found out that it was he who had brewed the Age Potion and due to the need to keep that information from the teachers, they could not take Jude to the Hospital Wing.

Potter glanced at the fragile girl with soulful hazel eyes and then followed Remus out the door, but it was Sirius who hovered, "I'll be outside if you need anything."

"You don't have to wait." Lily's voice shook slightly. Mary knew that Lily was the most righteous of them all, and she loathed not telling McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey about all of this, but most of all Lily was as protective as a lioness to those she considered friends, and in her eyes her cub was lying unconscious in the bed before her.

"I do." He glanced down at the Devon, his grey eyes cloaked with memories and slowly made his way to the door.

"What was that about?" Mary couldn't help asking the question, surely Sirius didn't know Jude yet he stayed by her side as if… as if he cared for her.

"Black craves attention Mary, do not offer it to him. Help me with her shirt, and be careful not to touch her skin." Lily was all instruction as Marlene laid the cool compress on the girl's forehead.

"Snape said that that was some sort of sex change potion… James said it was thrown at her." Aiza was thinking aloud as she leaned against a bedpost, "Why would someone do that?"

"Cause her embarrassment. Ridicule. " Lily glanced at the door that the boys exited through, her voice dripped with sarcasm, "I wonder who could do such a thing."

"You can't think it was them Lily, they were just as shocked as any of us, and just as worried." Marlene frowned at her friend, ever the placating one.

Lily snorted, "Those boys care for nobody but themselves. They probably would have thought that it would work even if they flung it at her-"

"Lily, you can't think that-"

"Can't I Marlene! They just used an illegal potion on a bunch of first years-"

"For a bit of fun!" Marlene glanced at Mary and Aiza for help, "They wouldn't do…this."

"If not them, then who! Who else knew about the whole hermaphrodite joke! A sex change potion after that, it all seems a tad bit coincidental. They have a sick sense of humor then! Now Mary please, help me with this shirt. Aiza, get the paste."

"What if the paste doesn't work?" Aiza frowned down at the wooden bowl filled with yellow paste in her hand.

"It will." Lily's voice was steel confidence.

"Because Snape is infallible." Aiza cocked a brow at her friend as Lily dipped her finger into the paste.

"He's not failed me yet."

"Did you completely forget what happened at the lake that day?" Marlene frowned down at Lily.

Lily's eyes stayed on Devon but it was evident by the rigidity of her back that she heard what Marlene had said, "Of course I haven't. To err is human, to forgive is divine."

"Such divinity would be the noose about your neck Lily. Some people do not deserve forgiveness." Marlene stated matter of factly and Mary glanced at the floor.

"And some people speak of things they do not deign to comprehend." Aiza straightened off the post and looked at Marlene in a way that made the tall girl frown, Aiza had just doubted Snape two seconds ago, and now she was defending him? "And Mary, perhaps your concern should be redirected to the dying girl in that bed rather than the boy waiting at the door."

Mary's head snapped about and away from the door, from the shuffling of Sirius just beyond that she was straining to hear, "Aiza-"

"Enough." Lily gasped, "Mary, if you do not want to help-"

"Of course I want to help." She swallowed and walked forward, fidgeting with her fingers as she took in the bloodless face of the Judalia Devon, "I'm just worried."

"Jude will be okay Mary, this paste will work." Lily spared her a sympathetic glance before she turned back to Devon.

It was not Jude Devon that Mary was worried about though.

Mary sunk in the seat and watched as her friends tended the girl, glancing at the closed door as if seeing Sirius through it, his stormy orbs riddled with worry and the guilt settled upon her pushed her shoulders further down.

She hoped that she had been more careful, with her words and her actions.

She hoped that paste Snape made would save Jude.

But most of all she hoped Lily was right earlier about erring and divinity…because most of all Mary hoped for forgiveness….

**Feedback as always is greatly appreciated**

**Thanks for reading **

**Kalina**


	10. Distraction

**Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers. **

**Chapter Ten **

Suddenly and all together the roughness of the brick wall at his back descended on him and Sirius slid down until his bare skin rested against the cool floor of the Western Tower room.

His breathing hadn't caught up with him, yet the blonde at his side was already on her feet, bra and skirt in place, her nimble fingers making quick work with her silk blouse.

He propped his head up on his hand as he languidly stared up at the slim girl, her petite waist disappearing beneath the white material. Moments ago his whole hand just about traversed the width of her bare back, she had always been slight, but the firmness of her rosy skin deterred the sickly connotation that usually accompanied girls who were waif thin.

He remembered the feeling of his fingertips enclosing a waist so tiny it seemed like porcelain to his touch, of deathly white skin, of scruffy, short brown strands that stood sharp against a feverish forehead, a girl full of sharp edges that cut him from within.

Sirius quickly sort distraction and focused on the blonde, "Your basking in the afterglow of our passion truly shows just how deeply you feel about our little rendezvous."

The girl sighed, her deep blue eyes sharp behind her square frames as she flipped her golden strands out of her collar, "Don't be needy Sirius. I thought I more than showed you how I felt about our _little rendezvous_. You do re-call having to recast that silencing charm halfway through." She tilted her chin to the side in thought, "I wonder whether the charm's durability is dependent on the weakness of the caster or the strength of the sound."

He smirked, "Definitely the strength of the sound, who knew you had such a mouth on you?"

"Why? Because I'm a pureblood? Because I'm a prefect?" She leaned against the table behind her, the action hiking her navy blue skirt up and Sirius' eyes roamed up her unnaturally bronze legs, it was a fad that was circling through the school and he didn't know how he felt about it. He liked a good pair of pins as much as the next bloke, but he felt oddly cheated if the result was achieved through magic. Something's shouldn't be tampered with.

"No, because it was of the caliber that could make a sailor blush." Sirius flexed his neck and leaned back against the floor and closed his eyes, his interlinked palms cushioning his dark hair. They were in an unused classroom in Ravenclaw Tower which he had discovered in his third year.

"Lucky you're no sailor." He heard the distinctive clack of heels as Selina Selwyn slipped on her black shoes that Sirius found he quite liked, the girl never wore anything so impractical during the day and he could only assume the towering pumps were for his benefit, "Can you see my other earring?"

He lazily opened an eye, more than content in just relaxing for a few moments rather than rushing off like she was known to do. Sirius wasn't complaining, majority of the reason that their arrangement worked so well was that she never hovered, or wanted to cuddle or anything along the lines of emotional intimacy.

His hands slipped to the source of the discomfort on his thigh and unhooked the earring from his pants, he offered the hanging pearl with a cocked brow which she snatched up with amused eyes, they both knew exactly how it got there.

"I heard Evans little pajama party was a success. I overheard Professor Flitwick telling Professor Trimble that the Gryffindor First years are as close as ever, and are more settled in and grounded than any of their peers from other houses."

Sirius frowned slightly, Selina and he never made small talk. For the past nine months ever since their first physical encounter at the annual Yuletide Ball at Malfoy Manor, he would receive instructions to meet her at random hours and places and they'd shag and go their separate ways.

It may have happened only a handful of times, but Sirius had formed an unlikely attachment to the girl, it probably had a lot to do with the fact that he had lost his virginity to her, or the fact that the girl was truly an active participant in bed, either way Sirius was unlikely to pass up these carnal opportunities.

Yet she was treading dangerous waters, he wasn't looking for a serious relationship, and he thought he had found a kindred spirit in the studious Claw. Pillow talk was not what he signed up for.

He frowned, he didn't mind being used as a warm body, but he did mind be used for intel, even against the likes of Evans, and he chose not to respond. The women in this castle were mad, or perhaps it was just the girls in his year, to pursue the position of something as rudimentary as being Head Girl with such zest, it was pathetic really.

Selina ceased waiting for a response she must have figured would not come, "Speaking of the activities of that night, I saw Daisy Hookum at Lucky's birthday party, she was looking decidedly put out by your absence. Don't tell me you skipped one of the better bashes of the year to play baby sitter for Evans."

Sirius didn't react, his eyes remained restfully closed, Selina probably didn't even know how accurate her terminology was. He knew if she had an inkling that the night had gone so awry she would take the information straight to Dumbledore, pretending to be a concerned student rather than a ruthless go-getter seeking to ruin Evans good name. "I don't know whether you're expressing jealousy towards Daisy or Evans now Selina, please be more specific."

She snorted, "Neither, thank you very much." The silence beat on for a few moments and Sirius propped an eye open, hoping that she decided to leave, he was disappointed to find her looking down at him in thought. "I know that you ran away from home."

"You and the whole school." He drawled.

"On the contrary Black, you must know that it isn't common knowledge. Nobody except your family knows that you've left home."

He sighed, keeping his eyes shut, "I suppose my mother told your mother?"

"No, my mother hasn't the foggiest, and thank Merlin for it, she was quite banking that I'd shag you into submission and you'd one day choose me as a wife." She laughed. "Granted, I haven't completely given up on the idea, you haven't really run away from home have you?"

"Unfortunately darling your intel is quite correct, if you plan on sleeping your way into the Black name, you're barking up the wrong tree."

"I thought perhaps you might have changed your mind, come to your senses and return home. And I had no doubts about the authenticity of my intel, siblings know these sorts of things."

Sirius opened his left eye, "Regulus told you that I ran away?"

"No need for such surprise Black, it's the duty of boyfriend's to inform their better halves on such matters."

Sirius stilled, and slowly opened both his eyes, working very hard to keep the shock out of his tone, "What?"

Selina smirked, "Oh Black, you know me better than to have just one plan, and you know me better than to bark up the wrong tree, as you so eloquently put it." Her blue eyes roamed over his bare torso, "Even when the wrong tree is so deliciously put together."

Sirius' chest burned, he never recalled Reg even speaking to Selina let alone speaking of her. Then again Reg had stayed clear of his path these past two months at school… did he really just shag his brother's girlfriend… no…

"Oh don't be sad. This little arrangement of ours need never stop, this is just a precautionary measure just in case you do end up being struck off the family tree."

Sirius straightened to his feet, clicking his belt closed and keeping the bile of disgust down, he couldn't let her see how much this news affected him, "How very Slytherin of you."

Her deep blue eyes brimmed with mischief and Sirius remembered just why he had snuck off with her at that party all those months ago, "You sound surprised. You know the saying, a true Slytherin never wears the green."

Sirius slipped on his shirt, suddenly eager to leave the girl, "You won't tell him." He muttered, hating himself for the way his voice quivered over the words. This was a line, a line he didn't even know he had crossed… surely Regulus didn't love her?

"Who?" She applied her lipstick in the dusty window behind them and Sirius bit back a growl.

"Regulus."

"Tell him about what?" She frowned momentarily and then her red lips gasped as she gestured to the spot on the floor that they had been writhing upon a few moments ago, "This? I'm the smartest girl in the year. Do you really think I'm going to tell a boy that I've been shagging his brother in the quiet? A boy I hope to one day be my husband. Plus, that's not exactly first date conversation is it, did I forget to mention we're not officially dating just yet, he asked me out to Hogsmeade tomorrow."

So they weren't officially together, that minor technicality made him feel loads lighter, "Second."

"What?" She turned, her brows furrowed at Sirius as he walked to the door.

"Second smartest girl in the year. That honor still belongs to Evans."

She _clacked_ her way towards him, her eyes mad with ambition, Sirius knew that many purebloods were in deed not happy with the fact that a girl of muggle heritage excelled in what they claimed as their world, the Selwyn's were no different, "For now."

And with a twist of her hip she was flouncing down the corridor to her common room, her blonde hair bouncing amid the torches, leaving Sirius pondering just what his brother saw in the jarring girl and hoping that whatever it was would be quickly forgotten.

* * *

"What's wrong?" Sirius glanced up at the source of the question and stared into the greenish-brown hue of his best friend.

"Nothing at all." He sprawled across his bed, his muscles relaxed from the hot shower he had treated them to; it wasn't that his session with Selina was particularly strenuous, it was that he and James had done a pre-training run about the grounds before he went off to meet with the Claw, accumulating quite some stress on his body.

"Well it's eight 'o clock on a Friday evening and you're in your pajamas?" Even though Sirius couldn't see Remus, he knew he was frowning. "I assumed from the hour long shower you just had, you were heading out?"

"You assumed wrong." Sirius glanced up at the scarlet four poster that was his roof, "Is my staying in ruining your sulking?"

"I am not sulking." He heard the snap of a large textbook and the rustle of sheets, "What is the matter?"

"Shutting yourself away for the past two weeks isn't sulking? Leaving the dorm just for lessons isn't sulking? You've become almost as reclusive as Devon these days."

Remus remained silent and Sirius straightened up to a seated position, his feet planted on the floor and his forehead leaning against his bedpost, he watched as his friend stared down at their carpetted floors, Remus' usually rigid posture slack as he leaned his elbows upon his knees.

"Moony, what happened to Devon was not your fault."

"Wasn't it?" He glanced up, his light brown strands framing his eyes, "I was so caught up trying to rile up Aiza, to get her off her guard with that stupid prank that I brewed an illegal potion Sirius."

"That prank was our idea Moony."

"Does it matter?" He ran a hand through his hair, "I brewed the potion, that's how I thank Dumbledore for all that he's done for me? For giving me this opportunity… I convince his students become illegal anima-"

"No." Sirius stood to his feet quickly, "Don't do that! You always do that, you always bring it back to that. You always act as if James, Peter and I have no say in the matter. That we didn't choose this! Moony if anybody is the one to blame for all this it's the sadistic bastard that attacked Devon. It's not your fault, it was a harmless prank-"

"A harmless prank that prevented Devon from getting the help that she needed Sirius!"

"But she's completely fine now. I waited and saw to it that she was back to working condition with my very own eyes!"

"It still doesn't change the fact that I did that! Sirius, the whole House knows what we did to the first years!" His voice was strangled with disappointment as he rose to his feet as well.

"Moony, you don't have to worry about anyone telling, nobody will tell." His voice was steely with confidence, "We've done hundreds of things and not a single soul in scarlet and gold has ever told on us!"

"Does that justify our behavior, my behavior!" He ran quivering fingers through his light brown strands, tossing it into uncharacteristic disarray, "Godric Sirius, I'm supposed to be the sensible one."

"Mate, you are!" He crossed the room to Remus, hoping that he could convince him that this wasn't his fault, that he could snap him out of the self loathing state he had been in for the past fortnight, "If you left us to our own devices we would have fucked up that potion, who knows what would have happened to the lot of them, and the only person to blame for any of this is whoever attacked Devon."

"Something we've yet to find out… maybe we should tell McGonagall-"

"No, if **we** can't find out who did it, there's no way that McGonagall would be able to." They had been asking around, conducting their own investigation into the attack on Devon. "Plus, you heard… well saw the girl. She said she didn't want McGonagall to know. Everything worked out fine Moony!"

"Did it? Lily hasn't spoken a word to any of us in two weeks, Devon is still shut in her dorm all the time, Marlene keeps tossing me disappointed looks and Mary, poor Mary, looks like she's frightened sick that someone attacked her friend. And Aiza…" He scratched his neck, "She's avoiding me completely."

Sirius cocked a brow at his friend, "Are you sure? Because from the outside it kind of looks like you're avoiding her?"

The shorter boy wandered to the window, his back to the dorm, "I don't know… I suppose I forgot…"

"Forgot what?"

"That I can't. I can't be with her-"

"Moony-"

"No Sirius. You don't understand, apart from being completely out of my reach, and hypothetically speaking if she even did return any of my feelings… what can I do about it?" He turned, his face crestfallen and Sirius walked towards him, "I can never lie to her, **and** I can never tell her what I am."

"Who you are Remus. Who." Sirius shook his head at his friend, "You're not a monster."

Remus stared, stared at a spot above Sirius for a while before turning towards the star strewn night. Sirius knew Remus' doubts as clear as he knew his own. He knew that his friend looked in the mirror and saw a distortion of his true self, a beast where a boy stood.

He didn't know what they had to do to convince him that he wasn't some slight on nature. That he deserved to be happy. The moments ticked by in silence until his friend's voice, dripping with fake jauntiness, broke it.

"I thought your meetings with Selwyn brought you enjoyment."

Sirius allowed the change of subject. He didn't ask how Remus knew that he had been to see Selina, it was not a common enough occurrence that he could hazard a guess but somehow he always knew. Sirius assumed it was due to the fact that Remus' senses always heightened as the full moon approached and perhaps he recognized her scent on him.

He sighed, knowing it was his turn to try a hand at honesty, "Regulus and her… are dating."

Remus turned around, his eyes looking a deep brown in the dimly lit room, "What…"

"He apparently asked her out to Hogsmeade tomorrow." He couldn't help the defensive tone in his voice as he leant against the wall next to the window.

"Then they aren't officially… together."

"How does that make any difference?" He shrugged, "If Selina gets what she wants, and she almost always does, I would have slept with my brother's wife… what does that even make me?"

"I think you're getting a little ahead of the situation… marriage Sirius?"

He scoffed, "You don't know my family. Regulus is my mother's everything, the future of the Noble and most Ancient House of Black, their sole heir. Selwyn would be the first of many who throw themselves at him and Godric she's probably the one that ticks all mother's boxes and he'll just do what they say like he always does… fuck."

Sirius' hand found his eyes and he pressed his palm into them as if forcing the image out of his head, deep down inside he always had the hope that one day Reg would come around. That he would see the error of his ways, but he doubted that would be a possibility now if he realized that Sirius had been, albeit unknowingly, cavorting with his girlfriend.

"Sirius, you didn't know. Regulus wouldn't hold you to your past, to her past."

"Wouldn't he? Remus he hasn't spoken a word to me in two months… eight weeks, not a word… and is it even his fault? What kind of brother have I been to him? I don't even know who he fancies? That he and Selina even were on those kinds of terms? And then I expect him to defend me. To follow me? I've completely failed him Moony, all he is, is because of me. He knows no better because I taught him no better."

Remus straightened up, his back rigid and his shoulders broadened as he took on Sirius' worries, "Padfoot, you speak as if Regulus is a child. He is mature enough to make his own decisions, you can't blame yourself for the choices that he makes."

Sirius took a deep breath and turned around, staring at the inky black sky. He didn't speak about Regulus often, if at all, because he wasn't entirely comfortable with the fact that his brother's abandonment affected him to this extent, and in all honesty his guilt ran deeper than unknowingly sleeping with his brother's soon to be girlfriend.

Sirius always felt guilty that he had left Regulus to be molded by the likes of his parents, his aunts and uncles… Bellatrix. He was so caught up, running off to James' house, making plans with Remus and Peter that first holiday after Hogwarts, he never stopped to think that he was leaving anybody behind. And before he knew it, the boy that had mirrored him physically all his life, who tagged along behind him, who mimicked his every action… was a complete stranger to him.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he didn't shrug it off, concentrating only his friend's steady palm at his back as the night breeze attacked his hair.

He cleared his throat, turning about with a smirk on his lips, "This is ridiculous. What does it even matter? Regulus isn't going to find out, she won't tell him."

"_I won't tell him."_ Sirius left the thought unspoken as he tried to chase away the damnable dark atmosphere that seemed to be crippling them both.

Remus nodded in contemplation, almost as if he could read Sirius' thoughts, "And they might not even last, it's just a date Padfoot."

"You're completely right. As per always Moony!" Sirius leaned against the opened window, the cool air biting at his back, "You know what, screw them! Screw them all. Selina and Shafiq, the whole bunch of them! I say we go to Hogsmeade together, just the mates, just like old times! No dates, no having to deal with Madam Puddifoot's shitty tea and having to visit Gladrags! Just you, me, James and Wormy!"

Remus grinned as if Sirius' faux bravado was contagious, "You speak as if we don't sneak off to Hogsmeade at least once a week."

Sirius laughed, "This isn't sneaking, this is a statement to the female population of this blasted castle that if they don't get their panties out their deliciously pert rumps, they are not going to undergo the once in a lifetime experience that is dating yours truly!"

"And what a humbling experience it is," Remus chuckled sarcastically, his eyes dancing in thought, "I suppose, it would be nice. I was planning on staying in… but yeah… I think I like it."

"Like what?" The pair of boys turned to the entrance as James and Peter walked in, James already pulling off his sweat drenched shirt whilst Peter hurried to the bespectacled boy's bed and lay James' broom down in its holder.

"Sirius and I were just discussing the Hogsmeade trip tomorrow."

"Brilliant." James pulled off his track pants and grabbed his towel, the red quaffles on his black boxers magically chasing each other about, "I was just about to talk to you about that. How about a double date?"

Remus' brows rose as Sirius walked forward with a grin as his best friend's hazel eyes stared him down in determination, "A double date?"

"Well Moony said that he isn't going tomorrow." James nodded at Remus, "And I know you always have a date lined up."

"Yeah but-"

Sirius raised his hand in front of Moony and hastened to James, "She actually said yes. Evans?"

"Evans? No." James shrugged, slapping the towel over his shoulder as he busied himself with removing his glasses, "Whose talking about Evans, I asked Cassie, I contemplated us going alone but I figured it might help defeat the awkward first date jitters you lot talk about if… well… there's another couple."

"Well Brilliant!" Sirius gasped, grabbing his friend by the shoulders, "Absolutely bloody fantastic. And you know what defeats the awkwardness that much more! Two more couples, we'll make it a group date!"

"Sirius-"

"Moony did you not here that our best friend just asked one of the hottest, fittest, nicest girls in the whole Seventh year out on a date scheduled for tomorrow?"

"You'll come too?" James grinned at Remus expectantly, "Not that I want to make a big deal of it or anything… but you know…" He trailed off, running a hand through his unruly hair.

"Of course I'll be there." Remus chimed in, "It sounds like fun."

"It will be. Cassie's… really good. She's the best seeker in the whole school! She's on brilliant form. Remember, she caught the snitch in like five minutes last week, Regulus barely had his broom in the air by the time she nabbed it, who could ask for a better kick off match."

"And she's hot, like the best derriere in the whole school!" Sirius added enthusiastically.

James laughed heading towards the bathroom, "That definitely doesn't hurt."

As he shut the door behind him, Remus turned to Sirius, "What happened to making a statement!"

"What bigger statement can you possibly make! Prongs is going on his first date Moony, his FIRST date. He's finally over that ridiculous fascination he has on Evans, and I for one plan on doing everything humanly and inhumanly possible to show Prongs just what he's been missing all these years."

Remus sighed, and glanced at the door and whispered, "You do know that he isn't over her… he's just trying to… distract himself."

Sirius shrugged as the sounds of the shower filled the room, "A little distraction never hurt anybody, I find that it quite does the opposite. Now if you're done worrying, Moony, I'm off to find one for myself, and I suggest you do the same."

"I suppose I should go too… find a date for tomorrow." Peter sounded as if he was announcing his journey to the gallows and Sirius turned to the boy with a smirk.

"It's okay Wormy, I'll take care of that."

And with a wink at the short boy, he sauntered out of the room in pursuit of distraction.

**A/N: So I know people won't be happy with this chapter, especially those who ship James and Lily, it's just that these are the steps that need to be taken for the happy ending, and I hope that you don't mind too much how windy the path may be.**

**Feedback as always is greatly appreciated. **

**Thanks for reading, **

**Kalina**


	11. The cool kids

**Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers.**

**A/N: This goes out to new reader Alyia loves fanfic. Hope you enjoy! **

**Chapter 11**

Mary sighed and pulled at the bright green top, releasing it from her belt. Turns out that tucking it in made her hips look colossal but leaving it out defeated the purpose of the high-waist pants that were supposed to make her legs look longer.

She frowned at the mirror, her mousy brown mane frizzing up from the steam of the bathroom, why did she even bother?

She'd never look like Lily, Marlene and Aiza. She was short and frumpy and bland and boring and…

She grumbled as she heard her name being called from beyond the door and bustled her way out.

"Did you see my scarf, the one with the lion cubs that Andy's mother got me for Christmas." She watched as Marlene flicked her wand at her own head, straightening her chest nut hair to perfection, she glanced at Mary in her mirror and her high-cheekbone face broke into a smile, "Don't you look pretty! I love the top!"

Mary bit her lip as she glanced at Marlene's outfit. It was almost the exact same thing as what she was wearing, except where Mary's top was green, Marlene's was a deep blue that brought out her eyes, and where Mary spent the last five minutes fussing with whether to tuck in the top or not, Marlene's fit carefree beneath the waist of her jeans, comforted by the fact that her slim ballerina legs could never look anything but slender.

She picked at the hem of her green top, "You lent it to Cassandra because she didn't have one to go with her red dress."

"I did! Didn't I!" Marlene chuckled, she and Cassandra Johnson were always exchanging clothes, they were both on the Gryffindor quidditch team and shared the same sense of style, sporty yet sophisticated, yet nowhere near as classy as Lily and Aiza.

As if to back up her thought the pair walked into the room, sporting bright dresses. Lily's was short and canary yellow that somehow went perfectly with her scarlet locks whilst Aiza's was floor length and wispy, white cotton that had a slit about half a thigh up that somehow made her look beach and ballroom ready all at the same time.

Lily's shock of red pony tail bounced behind her as she grabbed her red sling bag which was hanging off her bed post and turned to the room at large, "Well I'm off, Sev is waiting for me downstairs. Mary?" She glanced at Mary expectantly and the shorter girl frowned.

"What?"

"Well aren't you coming with?" She laughed airily.

Mary's frown deepened, she'd been to Hogsmeade with Snape and Lily once before in their third year and it was horrid. Aiza had gone on a date with some fifth year and Marlene was up in the Hospital Wing from a quidditch injury leaving Mary with no other option than joining Lily and Snape and Mary would more likely do herself in than repeat the experience.

It wasn't so much that Snape didn't speak a single word to her, it was Lily bending over backwards to try and overcompensate for his rudeness. Suffice to say that it was awkward for them all.

Her frown lessened as comprehension dawned on her; they must have discussed this beforehand.

Who was going to babysit forever dateless Mary because they all had plans? Aiza was out of the question because Mulciber hated anyone in scarlet and gold, most of all Mary considering her blood status and she couldn't exactly be a third wheel to Marlene and Andy.

Mary couldn't help her smile as she spoke, "It's okay, I'm actually going with Sirius and the boys."

Technically she wasn't lying, she was indeed going with their fellow sixth year Gryffindor boys, but in truth her date of sorts would be Peter, has Sirius politely made clear when he asked her last night. The only reason she said yes was that he had asked her to do him this favour.

As a friend.

She was Sirius Black's friend!

Which is more than most girls could claim.

"Oh." Lily stated, insult marring her emerald orbs. Lily had been staying clear of the whole lot of them for the past few weeks, ever since the incident with Devon. Mary glanced at the drawn four-poster and her smile faltered with guilt and she twisted the hem of her shirt between her nervous fingers.

"It's not like that." She didn't want to hurt Lily by making it seem like she preferred the boys company, and while she wanted the girl's to see that she wasn't some pathetic sod and was actually going to Hogsmeade with the most popular group in school, she felt honesty was the best option, "It's just to fill in so Peter doesn't feel awkward."

"Well that's ghastly for Black to insinuate that your presence would in comparison make Peter feel less awkward." Lily gasped, scandalized.

"That's not why he wants me there." Mary wondered how Lily managed to think the worst of the boys with such consistency, it was almost a talent, "He doesn't want Peter to be the seventh wheel, so I'm just joining them as a favor."

Aiza turned from the mirror; she wore her hair in a stiff black bun which made her features look sharp, "Seventh wheel?"

Mary's smile fell completely, she wasn't looking forward to this part at all, "Well… they're going as a group date. Remus is going with Evelyn O'Byrne, you know that short Hufflepuff prefect with the unkempt blonde hair and Sirius has asked Daisy Hookum. Godric knows how he managed that because I heard that Benjy Fenwick finally gathered up the courage to ask her and she said yes but of course she must have changed her mind after Sirius asked her. Apparently Daisy was all miffed because Sirius hadn't been paying her much attention these past few weeks and was all over Benjy to make Sirius jealous and now she's dropped the poor boy like a hot spud. Then again, it's not exactly her fault, I don't know if I could do it. Date Sirius, you know he never gives you any sort of directive that his completely in this, and apparently Daisy was fine with taking things slow but-"

"As interesting as Black's love life is, I have to go." Aiza rose in a swirl of white, "Either way, have fun." She was out the door before either of them could respond.

"Mary, you said seventh wheel?" Lily's back was to them as she leaned over and extricated her denim jacket from her trunk, "That would imply that there was originally six people going."

Mary knew what Lily was asking even though her friend thought she was being vague, "Potter's going with Cassandra."

Emerald eyes flickered to Marlene whose face flushed in defense, "I had no idea… though they did stay behind after practice last night to talk, I just thought it was about quidditch."

Lily shook her head, a superior look on her face, "I thought Cassandra was smarter than to fall for the likes of Potter. I suppose this is a good thing though."

"It is?" Mary asked, apprehensively.

"Yes. It's nice that they're doing the decent thing and officially dating rather than sneaking around in indecency."

"I don't think-"

"They have, I saw proof myself, it looked like Cassandra had practically clawed a chunk of his flesh out…" Lily muttered under her breath and Mary and Marlene exchanged concerned looks. "Anyway, good for them." She laughed, that airy sound that lacked life, "I'm off. Are you sure you don't want to come along."

Mary was about to respond when she realised Lily aimed her last question to the drawn four poster, and just like for the past two weeks littered with Lily's failed attempts at getting the girl to speak, her question was answered by silence.

"I best be off too, Andy's been waiting for like half an hour, any longer and he'll ditch me to run around with Eddy and Phillip. Walk down together?"

Mary nodded and followed Marlene and Lily out of the room, not missing the determined glint in the redhead's eyes, trying and failing to overshadow the trembling despair that threatened to grace her at the news of James Potter and his date for the day.

* * *

Her cheeks were aching from the smile on her face, but she couldn't help it, she knew her dimples were in full effect and she didn't care for Peter's apprehensive glances.

Mary had never felt so special in her whole life.

Walking down to Hogsmeade with the three most popular boys in school, and Peter, was definitely quite the experience.

The group constantly faltered as someone or the other just had to shout hello, pat Potter's arm or giggle a greeting at Sirius, to Daisy's discontent, which she covered well. She had that too-cool-to-care look that made her demeanor seem cold but Mary knew she was just trying to hide her jealousy at the mass of girl's that swooned up at her date.

And then there was the fact that Sirius Black was next to her, he had stayed firmly at her side all through the walk, whilst Peter dawdled on her other side. Daisy of course was on Sirius' other side but somehow it was Mary who Sirius kept speaking to.

The other four headed up the front, their conversations polite murmurs that Mary couldn't make out because of the gusty wind, just then a strong breeze rustled Cassie's short red dress and she quickly patted it down, not before a considerable amount of her toned thighs could be exposed and Sirius' voice sputtered over his story as he stared at his friend's date in appreciation. Mary couldn't help the feeling of jealousy that churned within her.

Daisy however smiled sharply up at him, her dark brown eyes glinting in the weak sunlight but she never voiced her disapproval, which was odd considering she was known to be loud and bossy.

"So Pixie, where to first? Please don't tell me you're one of those girls that spend all their time in Gladrags?" Mary's smile re-emerged and Sirius was instantly forgiven his indiscretion due to three reasons, his nickname for her, his asking her for input before he even asked his own date, and the look of jealousy that finally broke on Daisy's face.

Somebody was actually jealous of _her_.

"It's clear she doesn't." Daisy bit out in distaste, glancing at Mary's plain jeans and crimson shirt which she eventually opted for, but by the time Sirius turned to the girl she had a lovely smile plastered across her blushing cheeks, "Mary doesn't seem so vapid."

"Of course darling." Sirius chuckled and moved closer to the brunette, swinging a hand around her waist, his attention completely on the girl, "Though I wouldn't mind spending my whole day in Gladrags with you, the changing rooms allow for such… adventurous opportunities."

She giggled as Mary frowned, catching Peter's dreamy look, he truly worshipped Sirius and a laugh broke from Mary when she imagined Peter using that line on some girl. When Sirius said it was suave and flirty, if Peter said it sounded like an attempt at kidnapping.

Mary's laughter died as she caught a familiar face, his blue-grey eyes glancing at their group and she had to stop herself from smiling in greeting. As much as Regulus Black and Sirius resembled each other physically, their persona's were stark contrasts of each other, and as if to reiterate that he remained a respectable distance away from his date, Selina Selwyn, the anorexic blonde from Ravenclaw, whilst Sirius was all over Daisy.

Regulus' eyes flickered away from his brother, and Mary glanced at Sirius wondering if he had even noticed that his brother was across the street from them or if he was too enamored with Daisy, but Sirius' eyes remained clamped on the fifth year Gryffindor and Mary sighed.

Their party was fully on the High Street of Hogsmeade now, with shops on both sides and throngs of people pushing their way through them.

Remus turned around, his cloak flapping in the wind, "Butterbeer to warm us up a bit?"

Sirius laughed and pulled Daisy closer to his side, "I have other ideas to warm me up."

"Oh Sirius, stop!" Daisy giggled.

Mary couldn't help but agree with the girl, Cassie however found the whole thing hilarious and giggled at the pair of them. Evelyn smiled pleasantly, but Mary doubted if the girl knew any emotion besides that.

Mary didn't mind Evelyn's presence, she actually loved it. For one thing she was a dress size or two bigger than Mary, that brown sweater she was wearing made her look even pudgier and she wasn't ridiculously pretty like Cassie and Daisy so she didn't even feel awkward in comparison.

"Yes Sirius, please stop." Eight heads swiveled around at the cool voice and Mary's smile fell as it landed on another one of Sirius' relatives.

Of course this was drawing on conjecture from the man's dark hair and aristocratically good looks, even at his age which seemed nearer to fifty from the specks of grey in the black strands. The coldness in his face disappeared as his lips stretched into a playful smile that took a decade off his face and Sirius barked out a laugh, "Uncle Alphie."

He hugged the man, who responded in kind, ruffling his nephew's dark locks good naturedly; he nodded a greeting to the lot of them which James and Remus returned with handshakes.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, I see you're quite busy, I was just in Hogsmeade and saw a few students and realized a trip must have been scheduled today and I couldn't help coming over to see my favorite nephew." He smiled abashed, glancing behind him, "Unless of course Reg is standing right behind me in which case one of my TWO favourite nephews."

Sirius dismissed it with a wave, "He entered Scrivenshaft's like five minutes ago."

Mary frowned, she thought Sirius hadn't even seen his brother.

"Anyway, I don't wish to take up much of your time. Mind a cuppa to catch up with your old uncle?"

Sirius beamed, "If you find me an old uncle then no problem, I however won't mind catching up with the handsome devil before me."

Mary couldn't help smiling, was there anyone safe to Sirius' charm?

"Meet you in Three?" Sirius nodded at the boys and they agreed and he hastened to follow his uncle, who remained where he was, a polite smile on his face.

"Pleasure meeting you Miss?" His uncle greeted Daisy and Sirius spun around as if just remembering what he had forgotten.

"Oh Daisy! I won't be a moment." The smile he offered her was so convincing Mary wondered how the girl managed to not melt into a puddle on the floor. He winked and walked off, an animated look on his face Mary was surprised to see, Sirius had always made it seem like he didn't like his family.

Remus politely gestured to Daisy and Mary to follow him as they entered the Three Broomsticks, which thankfully wasn't as full due to the time. People liked to look around first and then settle here, Mary quickly glanced about the room but found it absent of her friends.

"Well if it isn't my favourite customers!" The young barmaid smiled at the boys with genuine affection, the badge sporting the name _Rosmerta _stretched across her considerable bust, "Go settle yourself in and I'll bring you lot some butterbeers."

They did as they were told, choosing a large table near the front window.

Daisy had demarcated Sirius' seat with her handbag, whilst Mary and Peter squeezed into the inside of the booth. Remus and Evelyn mirrored them, with Potter sliding in next to Evelyn and Cassie sitting precariously at the edge of the long seat.

Remus frowned, and Mary knew why, it was considered more polite for the boy to sit at the end, a somewhat protective barrier, made it seem a little more intimate.

If Cassie minded, it didn't show, her dark brown skin was bright as she looped Marlene's scarf off with a slight shiver, "I've been dreading Winter, I'm such a Summer bum, I'm no use in this cold."

"I wouldn't say that." James spoke as Rosmerta brought over the drinks, "You were brilliant in that match against Ravenclaw last year and it was practically arctic conditions."

Cassie smiled politely, "I don't know about brilliant. Are you a fan of the cold James? Or do you like it hot like me?"

James shrugged, ignorant to Cassie's flirty tone, "I like to fly, period. The weather really is just unimportant when you're up there, it's like a different world."

Mary swapped a quick glance with Remus which showed they both didn't think Cassie's intention was to bring the topic to quidditch.

"Speaking of Summer, what did you get up to in the holidays Cassie?" Remus asked politely.

"Well my brother brought over his new girlfriend so we were busy playing host to her, she's from the States, real sweetheart."

"I think I saw an article in the Prophet about that. She's the keeper from Sweetwater All-stars? They played the Kestrals last year, Richard isn't thinking about leaving the Kestrals is he? He's done a world of good for them, I see where you get your flying technique from." Potter turned to face Cassie and inadvertently blocked Evelyn from the conversation with his wide shoulders, "Have you sent out applications for Summer boot camps? I know your brother plays for the Kestrals but I hear the arrows are looking for a seeker."

Cassie's smile faltered, she evidently didn't want to talk shop and Remus hastily changed the subject, "That's brilliant, it must be nice having a sibling. Do you have any brothers or sisters Evelyn?"

Remus asked the short girl squashed between him and James in interest and she fidgeted with the fork on the table and murmured so softly that Mary couldn't even hear her. James glanced out the window, his eyes flickering around the crowd whilst Daisy mirrored him, evident that their interest lied elsewhere.

Mary didn't know why but she felt responsible to take over urging conversation between Potter and Cassie now that Remus was busy with Evelyn but thankfully she was saved by a booming laugh.

"James! Remus! Ah, and Cassie!"

They glanced up to see Fabian Prewett walk in and spot them easily, he was three years ahead of them and had left Hogwarts two years ago, and a familiar and friendly face. He once jinxed a Slytherin for teasing Mary in her first year but she doubt he'd remember her. Remus and Potter made sense though, Fabian and his twin brother, Gideon, often were consultants on Sirius and the boys' pranks. And he of course knew Cassie, her brother Richard and the twins were the best of friends in school.

"Fabian!" James shook his hand enthusiastically whilst Remus waved from his spot at the inside of the booth, "How've you been doing?"

"Brilliant, just popped over the Magic Neep to grab some stuff." He gestured to the bag of groceries in his hand and Cassie beamed.

"I suppose Molly sent you, how is she doing by the way? The last time I saw her she was ready to pop."

"Well she's popped now hasn't she?" The smile on Fabian's face was contagious, "Last weekend. Another boy, Percy they've named him. Not the best of names if you ask me but Arthur's mum was adamant. Mol's promised me I'll get to pick the next one."

"Another one, aren't they on three!" Cassie gasped.

"Those two would have a quidditch team if they could help it, Molly would mother the whole world if she had her way." Fabian explained to the group in general.

"My mum's the same." James added with a soft smile which seemed to surprise Cassie. James smirked and grinned often, but the smile that graced his face now was definitely rare.

Fabian's smile faltered at the look on Cassie's face and Mary felt odd looking at Fabian who was looking at Cassie who was looking at James who was now looking at the table.

"I better be going." Fabian muttered.

"Send Molly my love, yeah? And give little Percy a kiss for me!" She laughed as Fabian backed away.

He nodded, his usual grin missing and walked out the door.

Silence descended the table and Mary glanced out the window, looking for Sirius like she knew Daisy had been. Remus joined them this time but something about his look of yearning made Mary think he was singling out a dark haired girl instead of his best friend.

Peter's stomach gave a large growl, snapping everyone out of their reverie. Remus seemed to remember himself and turned to Evelyn to ask her if she wanted to eat.

Cassie looked expectantly at James but he was back to glancing out the window so Mary stretched her leg across the space underneath the table to kick him into action, she felt like this would be what Sirius would want, to egg James on.

"Ouch." Evelyn flinched when Mary's foot connected with her shin and she glanced up in shock at Peter but her action had bumped James, who then jostled into Cassie who already was teetering on the edge of their seat and Mary watched in trepidation as Cassie fell off her seat.

In a show of agility James scooped his hand about her waist and had her drawn to him tightly, her long dark hair cascading behind her, her brown eyes wide with shock "Nice save Potter."

James however didn't have a witty comeback, Cassie's body was awkwardly molded to his as she was still off the seat, the only thing supporting her was James arms about her.

Just then there was a snap of the door closing and Mary caught a shock of red hair through the front door glass, James however was too busy trying to drag Cassie back onto the bench, this time she fitted easily as he swung an arm about her shoulders to allow for more space and security.

Mary swapped high brows with Remus, she knew this whole scenario was to make James feel more comfortable but suddenly she felt like she was being disloyal to Lily.

But Lily didn't like James?

Mary turned her attention back to the table, Evelyn had been muttering apologies for bumping into James, her cheeks a brilliant red in embarrassment when the waitress arrived to take their orders.

Daisy refused to order, glaring out the window as everyone ate, and when James and Cassie finished eating they stood, "We're heading off to Spintwitches, anyone care to join."

Nobody did, the sporting goods store was Mary's least favourite place but Remus and Evelyn stood as well, "I have to leave Evelyn at Madam Puddifoot's, she's meeting her friends. I'll be back in a moment." He nodded to Mary in particular, knowing that he was deserting her with none other than Peter and Daisy of all people!

Not caring to sit through the impending awkwardness Mary rose to her feet, "I'm going to the ladies. See you in a bit!"

She shuffled past Daisy who was now openly livid at Sirius' absence and darted for the door to the girl's bathroom and her salvation from having to endure watching Peter gobble down another burger and Daisy set fire to another napkin in her agitation.

* * *

The cool cotton fell across her legs as she crossed them upon each other, dangling her foot in impatience as she awaited his arrival. They had beforehand agreed to meet at this destination, a small room hidden away in the dungeons that he had introduced her to, her stomach churned as she recalled the memory of that introduction, the discomfort of the leather armchair at her bare back, the horrid scent of his aftershave that seemed to eclipse all other smells in a room and clung to her skin for days like some horrid invisible tattoo reminding her of him… constantly.

Aiza straightened up in her seat as she saw the profile of Garrick Mulciber in the mirror in front of her and straightened her back, thinking only of Mary's words earlier.

_Remus is going with Evelyn O'Byrne._

The mirror grated open and Garrick stepped through, she remembered her puzzlement when she had done that for the first time, thinking that it were just a normal mirror from the outside, but when stepping into the darkened room she realized that it was one of those one way mirrors where you could see through on one side. This of course was the side invisible to the outside.

His ice blue eyes raked her skin and he tilted his dark head in appreciation as Aiza stood, "Sweet Circe you're a sight."

Aiza openly frowned, she didn't know why he had bought her this dress neither did she know why he requested she tie her hair in a bun, with Garrick it could be a platitude of disgusting fetishes. He crossed the narrow room in a matter of two steps and before Aiza could open her mouth he was on her, forceful and fierce as always, all tongue and spit and hands… greedy hands that left nothing sacred and with a growl she pushed him off.

He was startled, she had never resisted, not once in the past ten months and she took a deep breath, "Don't touch me."

He scoffed, "This whole hard to get act does nothing for me princess, you need not play the prude." He stepped forward and she skirted the wall.

"I've come to tell you that this is over." She clutched at her wand in her left hand, hidden by the lengthy white cotton that draped her body, he opened his mouth and she raised her right hand, "I know full well what the circumstances of my forfeiting our arrangement are, and I stand by my word that I want none of it. Do not write to me, do not speak to me, do not deign to even alight on my existence."

He smirked, "You don't want to do this Aiza, I can ruin your pretty little life, make it crumble into pretty little pieces."

"Go ahead Garrick, do whatever you want, I do not care. I'd rather be ruined pieces on the dirt than be sullied by your filth again." She took a deep breath and walked towards the door when her back hit the wall harshly, the diamond bracelet on her wrist cutting into her flesh as he pushed her hand over her head as he pinned her to the wall behind her.

"There is no out. You are mine." He bit out, "Think you silly bitch, think of daddy and mummy and all your little bastard friends, the mudbloods and the blood traitors, they'll know what you are and they'll hate you!"

She laughed, her eyes widening in madness, "You speak as if I care Garrick. I don't care who hates me! I care that I hate me and by Godric I'll turn my wand on myself before I let you touch me again!"

There was a flicker of something akin to concern in his blue eyes but it disappeared in a blink, "You wouldn't. When will you learn Aiza, you're selfish… just like me."

"And when will you learn Garrick, you can't hurt me." He let go of her hand and stood back and she refrained from clutching her wounded wrist and turned to the door.

"I'd never dare hurt _you_ princess." She pushed through the door without turning back to look at him, his words like ice on her skin and she clutched her wrist as she leaned against the opposite wall knowing full well he could see her…. And she smiled.

For the first time in forever she felt free.

For the first time in forever she looked at her reflection and didn't see his stench upon her.

He was invisible.

Invisible and out of her life for good.

She took off towards the front door, her feet carrying her to where her heart knew it belonged.

**Feedback as always is greatly appreciated :) **

**Kalina**


	12. Stay

**Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers. **

**Chapter 12 **

Aiza surged through the dorm and stopped at her trunk, the mad urge to strip away every reminder of Garrick overtook her and she was ready to tear away the dress, the bun, suffocate herself with perfume till his stink was off her.

And then she'll go to Hogsmeade. She'll find Remus, tell him how she feels, how she always felt…

These past two weeks were unbearable. She had been avoiding him out of embarrassment… it was almost as if Garrick had been growing bored off her and her asking him for help had rekindled his interest and she couldn't look Remus in the eye at things Garrick had made her do…

Somehow these past ten months being Garrick's play toy had desensitized her to the world, yet in contrast it was like a sensory overload when she was around Remus.

They split her in two, one part that bent to the whims of Garrick and one that looked at Remus Lupin like he was her whole world.

But that was a lie, a beautiful one but a lie nevertheless.

She couldn't be with Remus and cater to Garrick simultaneously.

It was truly one or the other.

She started as she heard the sound of footsteps and turned, catching the dark gaze of Judalia Devon who had entered the room, a thick tomb in her hand. She must have taken advantage of the practically empty castle and visited the library.

She didn't seem fazed by Aiza's appearance and made her way to the bed. The short girl winced slightly as she was lying down and that reminded Aiza of the cream that she received yesterday. She had written to her mother asking for the scar treatment, she knew her mother used it on her stretch marks and she figured she'd get some for Devon to help with the slight burn scar that remained from her attack.

It's the least she could do considering they hadn't found out who had attacked the girl.

"Here." She handed the ointment to the slight girl, Aiza had been waiting for a moment alone with the girl. She knew doing this in front of Lily would be intolerable considering the big deal she would make out of this small, inconsequential act.

The redhead had been trying her hardest to make Devon feel more comfortable in their company but it was evident that the girl wanted to be left alone and Aiza was happy to oblige. "You need to apply it twice a day and it will disappear in a week."

Aiza sighed, tired of waiting for the girl to take the jar and leaving it on her empty bedside. She didn't have time to waste on Devon anyway, she turned to the trunk again and stilled.

She bit her lip, a small voice gaining momentum in her head.

She glanced back at the girl and saw her for what she truly was.

An impenetrable vault for her secrets.

A human sounding board almost.

"Do you believe in second chances?"

Aiza didn't expect a response and continued, "Do you believe that if someone truly cared for you that there'd forgive you anything… or do you think that there just something's that are unforgivable."

She lowered onto the end of the bed, and stared at the wall, feeling silly, almost as if she was talking to herself but now that she started she couldn't stop, "I remember the first time I realized I was in love with Remus Lupin…"

Godric, she said it out loud. She'd never done that before…

"For the first few years he was just some boy in my periphery. You see he never looked at me… never noticed me… and one day… I can't tell you when… he looked at me… and he saw all of me and it was this depth… I can't explain but that look makes me feel like… pure white innocence…"

She shook her head and glanced at the ceiling, "And I'm not… I'm not innocent and he'll find out…they'll all find out and then…" She lowered her gaze and stared out the window, "He'll never look at me like that again…. Oh Godric."

She scrambled to her feet, "What did I think!" Her voice hitched as she turned to the girl who stared at her blankly, "That I would tell him how I feel and that he'd leave O'Byrne… just to have Garrick tell everyone the truth! And then he'll hate me and he… won't even have O'Byrne… all for a few hours of ignorant bliss with me… if he even wants me! By Godric Garrick is right… I am selfish!"

She glanced back at the black eyes which didn't seem to take in a word but somehow that unnerved her all the more… "I have to stop him."

* * *

The afternoon was quickly coming to a close, with threatening dark clouds cloaking what little sunlight seeped onto the little village.

Aiza hurried along the back street, staying clear of the busy High Street which was littered with Hogwarts students.

She'd just find Garrick before he retaliated to her earlier defiance. She'd take back all that she said, grovel if she had to and she knew exactly where he would be and thankfully it was accessible through the inconspicuous back roads.

"Aiza." She stilled, instantly recognizing the voice and had the sudden urge to duck behind the troll leg shaped trashcan that sat in the alleyway to her right.

She sighed when she heard footsteps, knowing that it was indeed too late and turned to the boy, who was quickly cutting across the narrow alleyway towards her.

"Remus." His eyes were an indiscernible hue in the poorly lit back street as they swept the deserted area with a frown.

"Why are you taking the back streets? You know it's not safe, especially at this time of day. Where is… your… er…" He swallowed thickly as if uttering Garrick's name was some ugly swear and her uneasiness calmed down a bit, she knew his dislike for the boy was not due to jealousy, but rather an innate dislike for all things Slytherin but she still couldn't help the feeling of self satisfaction.

"I was on my way back to the Castle when I realized I had forgotten something, so I thought I'll just pop back and fetch it. No reason to keep you from your…date." She couldn't help the hint of distaste that belied her unconcerned expression and his lips quirked slightly.

Great, now he thought **she** was jealous.

"Evelyn's with her friends in Madam Pudifoots." He gestured towards the left in the direction of the tea shop.

"Half price on cakes?" She couldn't help the quip and smiled at the narrowing of his eyes, was it normal to find irritation that attractive?

"If you must know, Evelyn had already made plans with her friends considering I had given her such late notice, so being the considerate individual she is, she didn't cancel their plans, merely postponed it so we both could join them for a cup of tea."

"I'll write the Order of Merlin to send her award." Aiza whipped around, annoyed at the note of pride in his voice at the stupid girl's selfless act.

She hastened her steps when she heard his soft chuckles, "Will you slow down, I can hardly escort you to…where are you going?"

"I don't need an escort."

"And I wasn't asking." He easily fell into step with her and a shiver ran up her spine at the uncharacteristic steel in his voice, she knew he was a stickler when it came to chivalry just as she knew there was no way she could get rid of him.

"Honeydukes." She murmured the first shop that came to mind, "I forgot to stop there and then I remembered on my way so I thought I'll just turn back-"

"Say no more. No need to justify the importance of keeping the snack stack fully loaded." He smiled down at her in understanding…Oh Godric he was making this impossible wasn't he?

Why did he have to be so…

He gestured into an alleyway which hinted at their apparent destination on the other side and somehow stepping onto that narrow strip of cobblestone was like jumping into a vat of lust potion.

The hair all over her body stood on end at his proximity which seemed to superimpose on her very skin in the dark, deserted alleyway which taunted her with its advantages that she was passing up with every step that echoed in the silence.

She squinted at him to find his eyes clamped on her but before she could grab the opportunity, the light spilled around them and they were crossing the High Street over to Honeydukes, the chance lost, much like her sanity if she didn't get away from him.

Aiza rubbed her sweaty palms across her white dress as Remus shrugged of his jacket and pulled at his collar in discomfort and then opened the door for her.

The shop was minutes from closing, and students were running about making the most of their eleventh hour shopping like only teenagers could.

Aiza's feet had automatically led her to the rack of her favorite chocolate as she pondered how she was going to get to Garrick. She glanced at the shelf which was empty and pouted, forgetting that this was just a detour until she could search out the Slytherin, "Their all out of Best."

"Excuse me, do you have any Best left?" She wanted to stop him from taking the trouble to ask, but there was something so comforting about the concern in his voice at something as insignificant as getting her a bar of chocolate that she didn't truly want.

The lanky ginger assistant laughed, "It's a scheduled school visit today, Best was sold out by the morning. Tough luck mate." The boy strutted away with the box he was carrying.

Aiza shrugged, hastening to leave, "Well, I guess I'll just-"

"Hey!" Aiza stiffened in shock as Remus approached a rather round boy that looked to be around thirteen. He glanced lazily as Remus reached him, a floating basket of treats behind him as well as a bunch of already purchased treats in Honeyduke bags in his hand. Somebody came for seconds. "Do you have Best in there?"

"Remus really-"

The boy scoffed haughtily, "Course I do, bought half a shelf in the morning." He glanced superiorly at the students behind them as they moaned at the empty shelf, "Amateurs."

"I'll give you five galleons for whatever's in the bag."

"Remus!" Aiza gasped, grabbing his elbow, five galleons for chocolates! Chocolates she didn't even want, it was plain madness.

"Done!" The kid laughed, giving the bag to Remus as he handed over the coins to the boy, "I've got two bags back in the dorm anyway!"

Aiza finally flinched out of the shock that Remus actually did this for her and plunged her hand into her bag, fishing out some coins.

She knew Remus was not rich, far from able to spend a whole five galleons just on chocolate! Her fingers stilled as warmth crept over her wrist.

"Please. Don't." He whispered and she fought back any protest at the sincerity in his tone and she removed her hand from her purse.

"At least let me buy you a drink then." Her face heated at the suggestion, "A butterbeer?"

"I'll allow it." He smirked and held the door open for her, she ducked out of it, wondering if she'd ever be bored of Remus opening doors and escorting her places.

They crossed the road and entered Three in a haze for Aiza, night was slowly creeping in and many students were making their way back before the seven 'o clock curfew.

Her haze broke at the raucous sounds of laughter within and they quickly found the source and hurried towards it, "Peter!" Aiza gasped, the boy was red faced as people snickered at him as he was soaked with butterbeer, "What happened!"

He looked near tears, "Daisy dumped a flagon of butterbeer on my head."

"Why!" Remus choked out, siphoning the liquid from his friend with his wand and tossing threatening glances about and the chuckling died considerably.

"Well she was tired of waiting for Padfoot and she got up, and then all I did was ask her if she wanted me to give him message, because I didn't want him to think she left because I wasn't keeping her proper company and then she said she would like to give him a message and dumped the flagon on my head."

"That little bitch." Aiza snapped and Peter's face flushed at that, "Just because Black stood her up doesn't mean she gets to take it out on you! I hope Mary gave her an earful." Aiza glanced about, she'd forgotten to ask Remus where Mary was but she assumed she was with Peter.

"She's in the loo. I mean, the Ladies." He corrected as Remus gave him a glance as a reminder to be polite.

Aiza shook her head at the two and crossed the room to the restroom, as if she hadn't heard the term loo before. "I'll fetch her."

The rest room was small and only had two stalls which were open, the only occupants a group of third year Slytherin's who were pruning themselves in front of the mirror.

Aiza frowned and walked out, "She isn't in there? You sure she didn't leave?"

Peter was finally dry and the room's attention was finally off him, "Well that's where she said she was going. Maybe she did, she was in there a while. She left for it when you left for tea with Evette."

Remus took a calming breath and Aiza smirked as she watched him refrain from correcting his friend, "Peter, that was almost two hours ago!"

Whatever happiness swelled in her slowly began seeping out as Peter recoiled defensively, "I don't know how long girls spend in the toilet. I mean Ladies."

"Nobody spends two hours in the toilet!" Remus snapped.

"Speak for yourself Moony." Black chuckled, "You've obviously never had a chile-"

"Oh Godric do not even complete that sentence Black!" Aiza squirmed, glancing about the room, suddenly extremely uncomfortable, "Maybe she's with Lily or Marlene."

"Who's with us?" Aiza turned to find her friends filing in behind Black and her stomach dropped in discomfort, Mary's closest friends were in this vicinity and she wouldn't dare walk back to the Castle alone and most definitely not in the dark, Mary was the epitome of being afraid of one's own shadow. "Where's Mary?"

Aiza swallowed her panic and twirled and ran back into the restroom, maybe she didn't see right. Mary was so short she could have been behind those Slytherins and she wouldn't have even noticed.

It was surreal as just as she thought of the girls they exited the rest room, the blonde one stopping her with a random shout of 'hey.'

"I think you dropped this."

She handed the thick silver hand chain to Aiza and the metal chilled her as she took it.

She knew that hand chain.

"_I'd never dare hurt _you _princess."_

"Aiza!" She dashed for the door, easily passing her stunned friends.

"Mary's in trouble." She spat, "Get help."

Remus grabbed for her hand but she dodged with the help of a throng of exiting students and she sprinted down the street, not caring what any of the students would think of her, Remus' voice growing faint behind her.

She reached the Hog's Head Inn in impressive time and barged through, finding the group of boys easily as the source of raucous, drunken laughter.

She knew that they weren't served the alcohol here, but rather downed a bottle of Ogden's in the clearing at the back and she had to regain control of herself, knowing that she wouldn't get anything from him if she acted like a Gryffindor.

"Garrick." He turned away from Wilkes and Avery who were arguing nonsensically with each other, his amused grin widening when it landed on her, "May I have a word?"

Not waiting for his response she pushed past Rosier and exited the filthy shop, taking calming breaths so as to not hex him and walked to the back clearing which was close to the Hogsmeade Mountain range.

"I knew you'll come to your senses. Fuck… you're so hot." She pushed his hand away and pushed him against the wall, a feat she only accomplished because he was tipsy from intoxication.

"Where is Mary!"

"Mary who?" He giggled, his fingers finding the sleeve of her cotton dress.

"Garrick! Do not play games with me!"

"I recall you liking the games we played." She pushed him off her again and held her wand to his neck.

"Tell me where Mary is!"

"And what do I get in return?"

She bit her lip, so he did know where she was.

He wouldn't though… he wouldn't have done anything to her…

What was she thinking?

Of course he would.

"Anything." She whispered, this was after all why she had come to Hogsmeade, to make things right with him.

He licked his lips and leaned forward, his breath becoming hers at his closeness, "That's a big word princess."

"I'm a big girl."

"That you are." He grabbed her around the waist and this time she didn't fight him, she could feel all of him against her as he sniffed her hair.

"Where is Mary?" She bit out again.

"Shhh." He pressed a long finger to her lips and traced a kiss up her neck but she squirmed out of it.

"Mary!"

"Shhhh!" He repeated, clasping his hand about her lips and she made to push him off, "Listennnnn."

And without wanting to she did.

And she heard the shrieks and her blood ran cold.

His smirk was like a knife and he let go of her and she turned to the source.

"You know that's the first time that name made any sense. Shrieking shack." He laughed as she walked slowly to sound.

Could it be Mary?

She rushed forward, the shrieking getting louder and his laughter getting quieter and her steps got faster and the ground got slippery and it got cold, so cold as she heard her friend's scream again and before she knew it she was climbing over the wooden fence and sprinting across the lawn, closer than anybody dared go to the cursed grounds, she searched for the door which she never found, it was just an endless wall of wood and then she saw it.

A broken hole, big enough to crawl through and she scampered towards it only to be pulled back forcefully.

"No! No, you can't go in there!" Remus' arms clamped about her waist and his voice bled with desperation and she wriggled from his hold.

"Mary-"

"I know, I'll get her, you stay here." He let her feet touch the floor and rushed forward but she ran after him and then he turned, his eyes bright as the rain traced torturous lines down his cheeks, "Please! Please. I need you to stay here Aiza, please!"

She stilled, she never saw Remus so broken, as if her entering that place would be the worst thing imaginable and she nodded mutely, stepping back as she watched him crawl into the hole.

The rain pelted harder and she could hear shouts in the distance, Lily must have had a search party out for Mary and she vaguely registered that the shrieks had disappeared. He can't have hurt her…

When she heard the sound of footsteps she ran to the hole just as Remus crawled through, pulling Mary out behind him.

Her face was red from screaming and streaked with tears and her brown eyes were distraught as she clutched at Remus, "Monster! There's a monster-"

"Shhh. Mary it was a boggart! Just a boggart!"

"Scratches all over the walls!" She screeched, "There's a monster! My parents! They're dead! MY PARENTS!"

Remus shook her and pulled her to him by the shoulders and held her gaze, "It was a boggart Mary! Your parents are fine! You are fine!"

She shuddered and with a whimper she fell onto him and Remus quickly pulled her into his arms.

"Is she-"

"Fainted. There was a boggart in there and she couldn't get past it."

"And the monster?" Aiza muttered, staring at the shack in trepidation. How could she let him go in there alone?

Remus' lips shook from the cold and he looked away from her, "There's no monster in there."

* * *

"Garrick Mulciber." Aiza stated firmly to the Head of House, they had just left Mary in the Hospital Wing and was in McGonagall's office.

"Are you positive Miss Shafiq? An expulsion might be on the line, definitely a suspension in the least."

If only McGonagall knew just what was on the line, "I am positive. I am not sure but Avery, Rosier and Wilkes might have helped."

"I will contact Professor Slughorn and look into it, for now, get into some dry clothes. I thank you for your help Miss Shafiq."

Aiza nodded and turned to walk out the door.

She could sacrifice her self to Garrick. But not Mary. She didn't care if he ruined her; but attacking Mary was something else completely.

Her friends were all she truly had.

Even if they would soon want nothing to do with her.

"Aiza."

She stilled at the end of the corridor, Remus walked towards her, still soaking wet, "Are you okay?"

She felt his hand twitch as if he wanted to touch her and then he stopped himself.

And that did it. All they did was restrict themselves. Fight it.

Soon they'll be nothing to fight for.

She pushed at him and he backed into the wall and before he could get a word out she latched her lips about his, and she conveyed to him every flutter of her tummy, flush of her face, shiver up her spine of the past year in that one kiss.

"Aiza...Aiza…" He panted as if in pain as he lifted his head, "Aiza…I'm no good…. I can't-"

He pushed her off him gently and ducked his head as he made to walk away and she stopped him with the whispered repetition of his words from earlier,

"Please. Please Remus. I need you to stay. Please."

She barely got the last word out when he flung around and pulled her to him as if he knew that this was their last chance.

As if he knew that tomorrow he'll wake to find out what a monster she was.

And he fidgeted with a spot behind her head and the wall behind her slid open and she tumbled back in shock but she never fell as he pulled her to him and she clung to him, his hands pulling her hair out of the bun and her legs gripped his waist and she let go.

And fell completely into him.

**Feedback as always is appreciated,**

**Kalina**


	13. Familiar Distance

**Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers. **

**A/N: Hi There! Sorry for taking such a time to update. Hope you didn't lose interest in the story! Anyway, here goes. Enjoy :)**

**This goes out to DeeLuaa Black, LexieF, alyia says hi and TyrialFrost. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

**Kalina**

**Chapter 13 **

Sirius stared at the two red streaks in the distance that were James and Cassie; like flames dancing in the inky black sky they tossed the quaffle to and fro. He leaned against the stone windowsill of his dorm room as he waited for Prongs to return from his quidditch date with his girlfriend.

Well, 'girlfriend' in Sirius' opinion. James shied away from the term, saying that Cassandra and he were just casually dating and in all honesty Sirius didn't really care what Prongs and the curvy beauty labeled their relationship, as long as James wasn't desperately panting after Evans any more.

Not that Evans would notice the lack of attention, she had glued herself to Snivelus' side ever since the Hogsmeade trip last month, and that filthy git more than relished in their reinstated friendship.

Sirius turned away from the window and glanced down at the letter in his hand, the writing as familiar to him as his own. He remember how he and Andy would try and copy the script when they were little, competing to see whose imitation was better.

"_Two butterbeers please, Annabelle." The wispy waitress blushed, tucking a loose raven strand behind her left ear before she spun around to retrieve their order, almost bumping into table behind them in her haste. Her pale cheeks reddened beneath her bright blue eyes as she glanced over her shoulder, biting her lip in hope that they didn't witness her mishap, her eyes widening momentarily as they clapped on blue-gray ones and she hurried off in embarrassment. _

_Sirius smirked at his uncle who was seated across him, who politely stared after the waitress in concern. Not for the first time in his life did Sirius wonder why his uncle never married. He turned his attention away from the girl, glancing about the room, "This place is a lot nicer than it was in my day." _

_Sirius followed his uncle's glance about the Staying Inn, it was one of the smaller establishments in Hogsmeade, just off the main road, very quiet and unpopular amongst the visiting Hogwarts students. _

_The restaurant was small and practically empty save for an older couple seated a few tables away. Something about the worried glances they tossed at them when they entered and their reclusive table made Sirius think they were having an affair or partaking in something just as exciting and nefarious. _

_He turned back to his uncle, who much like Moony had constantly perfect posture, but whose blue eyes lacked the warmth of his werewolf best friend. Not that his uncle was cold, he was the only adult in his family that Sirius had gotten along with. But just like it was a unique experience for Sirius, it was a unique experience for Uncle Alphard, for after many years of observation Sirius knew that whilst his uncle was not cold like his father, he wasn't as affectionate as someone like Mr. Potter for instance. But he had a nice middle ground of distance and familiarity that always made Sirius feel as if he could speak his mind. _

"_They changed ownership in my second year, some rich muggleborn bought it and has been trying to spruce it up, but I suppose it won't help much considering it's off the High Street." _

_Alphard Black smiled politely as he thanked the waitress for the butterbeer she had quickly placed down, averting her blue eyes from the occupants of the table in shyness and hurrying back into the kitchen. He nodded in reference at the couple who were now whispering breathlessly at each other, "Somehow I think that the fact that it's off the High Street might be its biggest marketing edge. Daisy… now that's a name that will have Walburga in hysterics, she once hexed Cygnus for referring to Lucretia as Lucy."_

_Sirius laughed, "As tantalizing the prospect of introducing Daisy to mother just for the promised hysterics, I assure you, we're not serious." _

_Uncle Alphard smiled, "I never intended to imply that you were. Speaking of Daisy, I better hurry up and get you back to her before she wilts." _

_Sirius grinned fondly at his uncles' joke, there was something so aged about it, sounding like something Mr. Potter would say, only funny because it came from the mouth of an elder. He frowned at the thought. It was odd to think of Uncle Aplhard as old, but as he now looked at him he saw the strands of grey creeping into his temple, the lines in his face that were not even there last Summer, "You must be wondering as to why I asked to speak to you alone."_

"_I assume you just wanted to check and see that I'm alive." Sirius laughed offhandedly and the smile fell from Alphard's face. _

"_No. I knew you were with Charlus and Dorea, and therefore in capable hands." He sipped his butterbeer and lowered it back to the table, his normally distant blue-gray eyes bright with uncertainty, "I am sure you know that Charlus and I work closely together." _

_Sirius knew they were acquaintances considering they both worked at the Ministry. Mr. Potter was a Senior official in the Auror department whilst Uncle Alphard was a Senior official in the Department of International Magical Cooperation, something which Walburga would not stop complaining about. His mother was of the opinion to work when you were titled was akin to begging. _

'_The Blacks were not beggars.'_

_Sirius would often point out that her precious great grandfather, Phinneas Nigellus Black was a Headmaster of Hogwarts and that was most definitely work, was it not?_

_To which Walburga's reply was a display that whilst The Blacks were above begging, they weren't above belting._

"_I didn't know you were friends." Sirius added, blinking away the recollection which made his back sting in memory. _

_Alphard shook his head, "I don't know about friends, but we are on good terms. I am sure you are aware of the current situation." He's blue-gray eyes glanced about the room in a flicker, "About a certain wizard going by –" _

"_Yeah I know about Voldemort." Sirius shook his head. "Warped, deranged egomaniac, a shepherd to those brain dead sheep he calls Death Eaters." _

_Sirius glared as he thought of Snivellus and Lestrange and the rest of the tossers that had whispers of Death Eater surrounding their names. _

"_Of course. Anyway, the matter isn't as contained as the Ministry would like to fool the public into thinking, and we've been seeking help from outside the UK. We've been working on getting help from Eastern Europe, they have some recent experience with fighting Dark Lords. The fall of Gellert Grindelward may be thanks to Dumbledore, but their Ministry managed to contain the situation in better light than we're managing. We made great strides with them, we were almost about to cement a partnership when suddenly a few months ago the negotiations fell through. Charlus and I were heading this arrangement, and I did a bit of digging… and the reason why the matter did not proceed is due to your father." _

"_Father?" Sirius frowned, "How can __**he**__ stop the negotiations. What does he care what the Ministry is doing? He isn't the least bit political." He leaned forward as a ghastly thought crossed his mind, "Unless he joined __**him**__…" _

_Sirius thought his father was too apathetic to take a side, he'd barely heard him voice an opinion, it was his mother that was vociferous about blood supremacy and muggle hatred, his father seemed to dislike everyone equally, irrelevant of specificities. _

"_Your father is head of the Black family and many of our family investments lie in Eastern Europe, we have very strong ties there, and the name is much respected and heaves a lot of weight. Orion isn't usually…so… but… it seems-"Uncle Alphard swallowed in uncharacteristic indecisiveness as he sought the right words to describe his brother-in-law. _

_Sirius knew that the only human being his father ever seemed to even form an inkling of interest for was his Uncle Alphard. He was his father's cousin, brother by law, and oldest friend. _

_Sirius straightened in his chair, feeling discomfort for the first time since seeing his uncle whose blue-gray eyes found his, "I have spoken to your father and it would seem that whilst he isn't political, he is as crafty as a politician. He knew that when you ran away it would be off to the Potters-" _

"_So he's doing this to be spiteful! To get back at Mr. Potter for taking me in when he tossed me aside! Derailing Mr. Potter's good intentions because he's a malicious, vindictive coward!" Sirius' neck constricted painfully as he sought to control his voice._

_A thousand words sparked across Uncle Alphard's face but he remained silent for a moment, "It is more than that. Your father, flawed he may be, is not spiteful. He admitted the only reason for interfering is quite simple. He wants you back home." _

_Sirius barked a laugh that even pulled the lovesick couple out of their trance, "He wants me back home? You must have misunderstood, he…" Sirius recalled the expressionless look on his father's face when he walked out, that last look of intermingled disinterest and disappointment, "He doesn't care." _

_Uncle Alphard leaned forward, "Sirius… your father… he's…" He stopped and took a deep breath, "I won't pretend that he's wanting you home is because his forlorn with grief or anything that sentimental. Your father wants you home for the very reason why he was forced to marry your mother all those years ago." _

_Sirius knew that his parents never married for love, but it was odd hearing it stated so casually. "Because I am his heir? The heir to the Noble and Ancient House of Black." Sirius spat, "Well he has Regulus-" _

"_No. Regulus can never be heir. Not to your father." Uncle Alphard leaned back in his chair, "Did you ever wonder why it is your father is head of the house, and not I? When I am the eldest son of the main family." _

_Sirius shrugged, unsure at this turn in the conversation, "Because you never married." _

"_No. Then the title would have gone to my younger brother, your uncle Cygnus." Uncle Alphard took another deep breath, it was the first time Sirius had ever seen him rattled in the slightest. "Perhaps I should start from the beginning. I am sure you know the stories of Phineas Nigellus the second." _

_Sirius rolled his eyes, his temper cooling at the name his mother had made him extremely familiar with, "The muggle rights activist who was blown off the family tree. Mother thought that his spirit was trapped in my room and was the cause for my 'unnatural fondness of such creatures'" _

"_Yes, I recall Walburga's purging of your room with unwanted clarity. Anyhow, more importantly Phineas the second was also Phineas the first's favorite son, even though your namesake, Sirius the first, was his heir. Stricken by the betrayal of his favourite son, Phineas distrusted all his children, for he thought if they all were raised under the same roof, if one went bad, it was only logical that they all would likely go the same way. So instead of following the normal inheritance custom, Phineas put a test to his grandchildren, who would inadvertently receive the title in years to come. Whoever marries and fathers a child first, get's the title of heir. It must seem odd, but it was more a test of who wanted it the most. Your grandfather, Pollux, married Irma Crabbe who was old enough to be his own mother at the time, and they had your mother when he was just thirteen years old. Whilst Arcturus, eldest son of Sirius, the rightful heir, married and had Lucretia, your father's older sister, but they were a month too late and the title shifted from Sirius, to Pollux." _

"_I don't really care-"_

"_It's important for you to understand the dynamic of your family Sirius, as steeped in insanity as the history may be. Now, my father, your grandfather Pollux, brimming with bride at usurping the title, was not keen when I refused to marry. But rather than give the title of heir to Cygnus, his second son, he instead passed it on to his favorite child, Walburga." _

"_Who then had it passed on to my father when they married. So the line of succession is how it should be, all's well that ends well, the Black name shall live on to torment future generations-" _

"_I suppose it sounds simple and silly." Uncle Alphard cut across Sirius' mocking with a scowl, "But surely you can see that your father had to make some sacrifice to get what he deemed was already rightfully his." _

_Sirius quieted down, disliking to be chided and refrained from pouting, "He had to marry my mother. Almost makes me feel sorry for the bastard."_

_Uncle Alphard straightened up and Sirius immediately regretted his words, not that he didn't think that his father was a bastard, but it was disrespectful to voice that sort of thing in front of his uncle. Whatever his uncle had to say seemed weighed in his eyes, weight that pressed his lips down and kept him silent for many moments. _

"_Perhaps you're too young, but one day you'll understand the immeasurable conviction in a pureblood marriage. There is no such thing as divorce in our customs, and to choose a wife is to choose a life partner, and our lives are…long." Sirius watched as his Uncle's eyes sparked with emotion and he bowed his head and stared at the table, unsure how to react to this new face his uncle had allowed him to see._

"_Now, anyway, you know why your father doesn't want to break the line of succession. In his eyes, you are the ONLY heir to the Black name. It's why he has done this... he wants you back home Sirius." _

"_I won't return to that house." Sirius bit out the words._

"_And I don't want you to my boy." Sirius glanced up at the softness in his uncle's voice but all he saw was a firm layer of stoniness, that rare face of emotions hidden from him once again."I know, I've known this was to happen for a long while, and I was happy to hear you were finally gone, happy with the Potters… but surely you see this is bigger than your own happiness Sirius… your father has agreed to step back, to not interfere with our negotiations if I can convince you to come home." _

"_Uncle Al-"_

"_I know." He straightened once more, his eyes back to its usual emotionless blue, "I will not force you back. All I want is for you to know why I ask this horrid thing of you. You'll be seventeen in just over a month… you need only come back home for the Yuletide break and then a few weeks in the Summer perhaps but you'll be a man soon and you will make your own decisions but for now… I know what it is I am asking." _

"_I don't think you do." _

_Alphard frowned, "You think it was easy to fight my family? To deny my father's wishes to marry. If it were not for your father I would be just a smudge on Walburga's tree. And perhaps Orion had his own reasons to help me when I refused the title, perhaps he knew then he would be closer to getting it back, but whatever your father is… he is a man of his word." He leaned forward, a flash of life in his blue-gray orbs, "We need all the help we can get Sirius… I would never ask if…if there was any other way out…" _

"Sirius?" He turned around at the familiar voice, pocketing his uncle's letter that requested his answer to the question he had asked him all those weeks ago as Remus walked into the dorm, a large bouquet of flowers in his hand, "Aren't you coming for Isabella's birthday party."

He watched as his friend shrugged on a new sweater, conjuring a vase for the flowers and placing them in it carefully as his wand spouted an arc of water that trickled into the container, "What's the use, Flitwick will just come and bust it anyway."

Ever since Mulciber was suspended for the prank on Mary, it was all out war between the Snakes and the rest of the school. Just last week somebody tipped off McGonagall about Sirius' birthday party and the occurrence of some illegal activities, they were lucky they managed to hide the alcohol before their head of house breached the perimeter, but the party was ruined nevertheless.

"Ah, don't be so pessimistic." Sirius couldn't help smiling at the look on his friend's face, ever since Remus and Shaffiq started officially dating he was intolerably happy, "Plus, I thought you like Isabella."

"A bit too much for my own good." Isabella McDougal was an uncomfortable outlier in Sirius' list of special acquaintances. She was unique in that he considered her a friend, and therefore their fun had to be both infrequent and maneuvered about with much caution lest he ruined their friendship which he liked a bit more than he did their cavorting. Especially after that rumour about him wanting to have an orgy with her, Mary and Devon at the beginning of the year.

And considering that Daisy was still being petty and pouting after their trip to Hogsmeade, Sirius didn't feel keen on being glared at by the girl for most of the night.

And there was the fact that Selina Selwyn would be there, and of course that means so would Regulus… "Did Shafiq give you flowers? That's oddly…progressive of you two." Sirius hoped his question would distract both him and Moony.

His friend's smile dissipated instantly, "Yes…no… I'm to send them to my mother. My sick mother."

Sirius walked forward with a sigh, Remus had not told Aiza about his condition. Hence, last week when he disappeared for a few days, she probably thought he was off to see his 'sick' mother, hence the flowers… "Mate, it's obvious that she likes you." A bit too obvious, the two were nauseatingly close, "She'll understand-"

"I have to go." Before Sirius could say another word Remus was out the door, almost bumping into a sweaty James as he entered.

"You know I think we ought to talk to him. It's not good to be whipped from the get go, she should at least have to train him or something." James rolled his eyes and tossed his broom into its holder, "But then what is it called if both parties are equally whipped, because Aiza looks as if she's experiencing some withdrawal symptoms downstairs just from his five minute absence."

Sirius laughed, "You're one to talk. I see you and Cassie had a personal training session."

"Well yes, we had." He ran a hand through his greasy strands and shrugged, "Considering I am her captain and it's my duty to oversee the facilitation of my team's training."

"Hmmm." Sirius smirked, "I suppose your facilitation of her training required an extra twenty minutes in the empty locker rooms."

James narrowed his hazel eyes at him, "I was having a shower."

"Evidently." Sirius gestured at his sweatiness and Prongs huffed.

"Fine. But just because I enjoy Cassandra's company does not mean that I am whipped." He frowned, "Does it look that way?"

Sirius hastened to answer, hoping that his teasing won't deter James, "No, no. I was just joking. Actually Mary was asking me whether you two were officially dating yet."

"Why'd you think she's asking?" Prongs shrugged off his shirt and threw it into the basket, narrowing his eyes in thought, "You think Evans wants to know?"

"What?" Sirius shook his head, "I don't know, Mary's quite inquisitive, she might just be asking for herself."

"You're spending a lot of time with MacDonald these days."

Sirius shrugged, "She's not so bad. She's been having a hard time what with the incident in the Shack last month, her parents are so worried they want her home early for the holiday. Speaking of… I need to talk to you."

"Oh." James muttered, leaning against one of Peter's bedposts. "I was actually about to say the same thing."

"Oh." Sirius mimicked his friend, it wasn't like James to want to speak privately, but at the same time Sirius wasn't that surprised at his friend's request. There was something…off… about James recently, and he probably wouldn't have noticed a thing if the boy standing before him wasn't like a twin brother to him. He never pestered him though, waiting for him to bring it up on his own. Seems like he was finally ready to talk, "What is it?"

"Ladies first." James smirked and Sirius happily sent him a very inappropriate hand gesture in response. He dodged the pillow Prongs sent at him and pushed his hair back out of his eyes.

"It's about the holiday actually… I'm going back home."

"What?" His hazel orbs widened in shock and James let the second pillow fall from his hand in a soft thud.

"Just for the holiday. I don't really have much of a choice, my Uncle Alphard says that my father is getting in the way of him and your dad trying to get outside help against Voldemort and the only way he will step back is if I come back home."

"Dad won't let you Padfoot, you can't go back there… no, I'll write to him. This is fucking madness. Did your Uncle actually ask you to go back to that place? There must be another way. "

"There isn't mate, Uncle Alfie wouldn't ask if there were. And I know if we tell your dad he wouldn't let me do it, so don't tell him about this. This negotiation that he and Uncle Alfie are working on could help so much, and bloody hell we need the help. You heard about Bell's cousin…pour woman. All because her husband is a muggleborn…Voldemort's ruthless and repulsive… So yeah… I have to do this. Just tell him I got cold feet or something… I know they'll think I'm ungrateful… after they opened their homes to me... I know he'll be so disappointed."

Sirius ducked his head as James frowned at him, "He won't. He'll have no right to be." Sirius raised his head at that and James held his gaze, "You're doing a good thing mate. I just wish it didn't have to-"

"I know. I know." Sirius waved it aside and cleared his throat whilst simultaneously clearing the room of the sentimentality that was slowly creeping in, "Anyway, what did you want to say?"

"Oh…" Prong pushed the frames of his glasses up as he leaned away from the bed post and shrugged, "I just wanted to discuss the holidays. You know my parents were thinking about going to France so we would have had the house to ourselves and I thought that maybe we should get Moony and Wormy over for a few days but I suppose that's out of the question."

"I'm sure I can manage a few days." Sirius muttered, laughing it off, eager to change the subject, "Anyway, now that I'm out of the picture, you could ask Cassie over, that should be LOADS more fun mate. Imagine all the facilitating of her various skills you could oversee."

James flicked his wand and the pillow at his feet went sailing at Sirius' head as he dodged and watched the white mass fly out the dorm window, marking the black sky with a flash of brightness before it made its seven flight descent to the ground.

"You bloody little-" They stuck their heads out at the curse, to find Argus Filch spattered with feathers as he tried to pry them off his eyes so he could spot who did it, they ducked their heads back in quickly. "Wait till I come up there ye bleeding li-"

"Isabella's party?" James asked and all Sirius heard was 'Alibi?'

"Right after you mate."

And with that they rushed out of the room, Filch's shouts echoing behind them.

Feedback as always, will be appreciated

Kalina


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